His eyes are on me. His arms are crossed. His head is tilted—like he's trying to figure me out for the first time. His voice is quiet when he speaks. Not teasing. Not dramatic. Just... curious.
"Ellis."
A pause. Long. Heavy.
"Are you... in love?"
The words hang in the air between us, suspended in the dim, pulsing light of the club.
In love....
The words hit me too suddenly—a language I don't speak, a sound I've never heard before. Foreign. Unfamiliar. The kind of thing that doesn't belong in my mouth or my mind or anywhere near the life I've built for myself.
I blink at him.
Sum's eyes stay on me. Curious. Waiting. Hungry for an answer he's already decided he knows.
My voice comes out cold—colder than I intend, sharp enough to cut. Flat. A door slamming shut.
"What nonsense are you talking?"
Sum doesn't flinch. He pours himself another drink—slow, deliberate, the amber liquid catching the neon light before disappearing into the glass.
