Back in the car, the silence stretched uncomfortably.
Lily sneezed softly.
Her lashes fluttered, and her eyes watered almost immediately. The faint redness at the corners made her look inexplicably fragile.
Jacob's brows knitted together.
She turned her face slightly toward the window, raising a hand to rub her nose, pretending nothing had happened.
"Go home first," Lily said lightly, as if it were an afterthought. "I have an early shoot tomorrow."
Her tone was casual—too casual.
Jacob's gaze lingered on her profile. The pale curve of her cheek. The faint tremor in her fingers. The way her shoulders were drawn tight, as though she were bracing herself against something unseen.
"You're sick," he said flatly.
"I'm not," Lily replied immediately. "Just a sneeze."
Jacob didn't respond.
Instead, he reached forward and adjusted the temperature slightly higher. The subtle hum of the car filled the silence.
Lily noticed.
Her lips parted, then pressed together again.
