Chapter 35 “Come Sit Here”

• I tore my gaze away from Darius and focused on helping Ethan and the others answer questions about the exhibits. I pointed out a few technical specs on the display screen, my tone steady, but beneath it all, my pulse thudded in my ears.
• Then I felt it—a stare. Intense. Burning. It crawled across my skin like a live wire. When I turned, my chest tightened. Rocco stood across the crowd, his sharp gaze locked on me, unreadable. He didn’t move, didn’t blink. Just watched.
• And he wasn’t the only one. A few feet away, Darius stood beside Emma. She was talking animatedly to James, her voice a little too high, a little too polished. Rocco elbowed Darius lightly, smirking.