But when she found nothing but seriousness in my gaze, she seemed to relax, just a fraction.
I could see the conflict in her expression, the way she was weighing her options, considering what to do next.
Finally, she shrugged, a small, almost imperceptible gesture. "Okay."
There it was. Just like that. No more awkward small talk, no more trying to impress me with stories or compliments.
Just a simple, raw agreement. I could see the tension leave her shoulders, like she'd finally made peace with whatever decision she'd come to.
"Okay," I echoed, nodding.
She looked up at me, her eyes still wide, but there was something else there now-curiosity, maybe, or a kind of quiet acceptance.
She wasn't the first to react this way, and she wouldn't be the last.
The abruptness of it, the bluntness, seemed to disarm people, leaving them vulnerable, exposed.
But that was the point.
