-Vaughn Blackmore:
He doesn't look at me again after that.
That realization sits in my head longer than it should, not because it matters in any meaningful way, but because of how deliberately normal he makes it feel. Ryland Grayson sits there like nothing about this situation requires attention. Like sitting next to someone isn't an action that carries weight, consequences, or even basic acknowledgement. It's just… placement. Like he chose a spot and decided everything else in the world should adjust around it without question.
I keep my movements controlled. My fork hovers over the tray for a second longer than necessary before I force myself to continue eating. Slow. Measured. Normal. The kind of normal that doesn't invite observation. That's important here. It always has been.
