Elijah’s eyes followed me as I placed my phone back on the counter, the screen still faintly glowing before it went black. His expression was calm, but I could see it—the tension sitting just beneath his composure. The protective instinct that always surfaced when something unsettled me.

He took a slow step closer, his hand brushing the edge of the counter. “What was that about?” he asked softly, his voice even but edged with concern.

I tried to steady my breathing, to keep my voice ...