TATE
ELI FROZE IN the doorway. His eyes went wide, scanning me like he’d just walked into a crime scene. “What the hell… you’re out?”
I stiffened, shifting in my chair as irritation crawled up my spine. Of course he had to make a scene. Of course he had to draw attention to me. My body tensed, hands gripping the edge of the table.
“Yeah, I’m out,” I muttered, voice tight. “Lucky you got here to see it.”
Eli blinked once, then stepped forward. Without asking, he plopped into the empty chair beside me, his shoulder brushing mine. The contact made my stomach coil, my teeth clenching without me thinking about it. I wanted distance, space, anything that would remind me he was just a complication I didn’t need.
“How’d you get him to let you out?” he whispered, leaning close as if we were pl
