Vance finally broke the silence, his voice cutting through the tension. “What’s up with you? You look like you’ve got something heavy on your mind.”

He’d been watching Ashley fidget with her tablet, restless and distracted, and it was starting to mess with his own focus.

Ashley turned toward him, biting down on her lip. Her face said it all—she was tangled up in something complicated.

“I’ve come this far, but I just realized I still haven’t given a name to the ...