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He is looking for a ring.

The realization sends another wave of tension through me, different from the first.

Before I can stop myself, my gaze drops toward his left hand.

Nothing.

No wedding band.

No indication of anything.

I look back at him before the movement can become obvious.

Ross's expression changes slightly.

He noticed.

Of course he noticed.

“You look well,” he says.

The words should be harmless.

They are not.

His voice is lower now, and the way he looks at me strips every polite interpretation from the sentence.

Heat gathers beneath my skin before I can prevent it.

“Thank you,” I say.

Ross's gaze remains on mine.

There is too much history in the silence that follows.

Not enough to discuss here.

Not tonight.

I shift my clutch from one hand to the other.

“You seem to be doing well yourself,” I say.

“I am.”

The answer is simple and completely unsurprising.

Ross has always known how to make certainty look effortless.

Rebecca still has not returned.

I glance toward the doorway.

Ross notices.

“Are you trying to leave?” he asks.

“I was considering it.”