He didn’t tell Rose. What would he say? That her mother gave him the creeps? That she kept touching his shoulder a second too long? That she looked at him like he was a puzzle she was desperate to solve? It sounded insane. And worse—rude.
But it lingered. Kiara’s questions. Her stares. Her strange pauses mid-sentence as if caught in a memory she couldn’t quite place. Lucas began sleeping with his bag zipped, his toothbrush tucked away. And when Rose left for errands, he stayed downstairs. Avoiding Kiara’s gaze became a silent game.