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His gaze sharpened again.

But he kept talking.

“One of them snored.”

That surprised a laugh out of me.

Veyr’s mouth twitched.

“There,” I said. “That’s a memory.”

“It was an irritation.”

“That still counts.”

He looked away. “He could sleep through bombardment.”

I smiled. “And you?”

“I could not.”

“No surprise there.”

His expression did not change. But his voice did.

“I slept better then.”

That landed hard. I did not know what to do with it.

So I did something unusual. Nothing.

I waited.

He seemed to realize what he had said.

The distance returned. I hated that I could see it happening.

“Veyr.”

“No.”

“You don’t even know what I was going to ask.”

“Yes.”

“That is arrogant.”

“Yes.”

I blinked. “Okay.”

He looked almost irritated with himself now. Maybe honesty bothered him as much as it bothered me when it came unexpectedly.

I lowered my voice. “You don’t have to tell me what happened.”

“I know.”

“But you gave it up.”