He finally ended the call, and only then did he break eye contact. He glanced down, slipping the earpods out with practiced ease, placing them carefully into their case. The spell of silence was broken, and I took the moment to clear my throat again, though this time it wasn’t to get his attention—it was to get a grip on myself.

I took a deep breath, forcing my feet to move as I stepped closer to him. He looked back at me then, his eyes locking onto mine again, this time with a sharper ...