Maeve's question hit me like a punch to the gut. Is Zaya avoiding you?
I froze, my breath catching in my throat. The words lingered in the air, sharp and probing, slicing through my already fragile composure.
Of course she was avoiding me. I hadn't seen or heard from her in days. She'd shut me out completely, and every attempt I'd made to reach her had been met with silence.
"What do you care?" I said finally, my voice trembling despite my effort to sound indifferent. "Why are you even asking?"
Maeve tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. "Because it's obvious," she said matter-of-factly. "You're walking around like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. Zaya's not here, and you're falling apart because of it."
I clenched my fists, the anger rising in my chest like a tide. "You don't know what you're talking about."
