Claire stiffened under my hand. I felt it—the tiny hitch in her breath, the way her shoulders tensed like she had just been slapped in public.
Eyes darted toward her. Toward me. Toward the ghosts of people who suddenly thought they knew the whole story.
I smiled.
Not wide. Not friendly.
The kind of smile that warned people they had overstepped their boundaries.
"Cheated?" I repeated, tilting my head slightly. My voice was calm, and low. "Interesting choice of words."
"Let me clear something up," I said, projecting just enough for the whole entrance to hear. "Claire didn't cheat on anyone."
Silence crept in, inch by inch.
"Lance and Claire broke up. What happened after that isn't anyone's business—especially not people who haven't spoken to her since graduation."
A few faces flushed. Others looked away. Funny how courage evaporated when it was called out.
I glanced around, letting my gaze linger. Letting them feel seen.
