Grayson
The door burst open before I realized I'd take a step away from her.
Elena froze, chest heaving, color high on her cheeks. I could still feel the tense air between us, heavy, electric, full of everything we'd left unsaid.
Bridget's voice cut through it like a sharp blade.
“Mr. Hale, the first guests have arrived.”
Her timing couldn't have been more cruel.
Elena stepped back so quickly it felt like she was tearing something out of me. She straightened, head down, eyes everywhere but mine.
I said nothing. Couldn't.
Bridget lingered for a second, confusion flickering in her eyes as she looked between us, before she quietly retreated and closed the door behind her.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Elena exhaled, voice shaky when she finally spoke. “I should… I shou
