"Me?" Nova hesitated, her voice laced with uncertainty. "Should I know you?"

Tristan looked at her, feeling a tightness in his chest that made it hard to breathe.

He thought she was still upset about their past and attempted to clarify, "About what happened back then... I..."

But before he could finish, Nova interrupted without any softness in her tone, "Sir, first off, I don't know you. And unless you've got something urgent to say, I need to leave. I have other ...