The moment his voice sliced through the air, something inside me recoiled—a jolt so sharp and familiar it nearly stole the breath from my lungs. It twisted low in my belly, a physical ache like old, broken bones shifting with too much pressure. My heart hammered—heavy, unrelenting. No, I thought, biting down on the instinct to flee. Not now. But I knew, even before I turned, who it was.


    I fought to stay still, rooted to the spot as the air around me thickened, pressing down like an invisible weight. The market''s sounds—distant voices, vendors calling, the clatter of metal—faded, swallowed by the suffocating silence that bloomed between us. My feet refused to move, as if the earth itself had tethered me. Slowly, painfully, I pivoted. Every movement was a drag, my limbs heavy, as though I were wading through molasses.


    And there he was. Eli. Standing there like nothing had changed, as if I hadn''t spent years trying to forget the very sight of him. Recognition hit me like a slap—raw, immediate, and unrelenting. His presence overshadowed everything else, erasing the noise of the world, making it seem distant, unreal. The chaos of the market became a dull hum. He’s here. He’s real.


    The years between us stretched out in the silence, tight and taut, like a drawn bowstring—poured, ready to snap.


    I don’t want to do this. The thought twisted in my mind, sharp and fleeting, before I found my voice. "It’s been a while, Eli," I managed, the words scraping out, raw and reluctant. There was no hiding the edge in my tone—the resentment that bled through, as thin but sharp as glass. Even now, just saying his name felt like swallowing ash.


    I clenched my fists. His gaze locked onto mine, heavy and familiar, the same intense stare that had once made me feel seen and *too* seen all at once. The air around us crackled with tension, thickening with memories and things unsaid.


    Eli stepped forward, casual as always, like time had never passed. His presence was fluid, easy—his black jacket swishing softly as he moved, boots barely making a sound on the polished floor. I felt my chest tighten. He still had that damn pull, that effortless magnetism. But now, it felt... dangerous. Like the embers of a fire that could burn me if I wasn’t careful.


    "It has been," he said, his voice smooth and slow, but there was something cold underneath, something barely contained—a sharpness that hadn’t been there before. His eyes flicked over me, slow and deliberate, taking in more than just the surface. "Guess you’ve been… busy?"


    Before I could form a response, Elissa’s voice cut through, light and care-free, almost too bright for the weight in the air. "What do you think?" she asked, holding up a coat, then pausing, her eyes locking onto mine. "A little too much, or just the right amount of ridiculous?"


    But as her gaze shifted to Eli, something shifted in her, too. Her smile faltered for just a second, the playful spark dimming, replaced by a wariness I could almost taste. Her eyes darted between Eli and me, trying to piece something together—something unspoken, and just out of reach.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Her look settled on me, sharp but light. “Geez,” she said, breaking the silence with her usual nonchalance, but it felt too bright, almost like a mask. "What kind of situation have we walked into /???????????\?"


    The words slipped out before I could stop them. "This is Elijah." My voice sounded hollow, even to me. I regretted it immediately. There was nothing about this man that was empty, and yet, the space between us—that—felt vacant. "An old… friend."


    Eli''s lips curled into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. It was brittle, sharp, like a knife edge, and he let the word roll off his tongue with a calculated slowness. "Friend?" He repeated it, tasting it. "That''s one way to put it."


    The tension stretched, taut and crackling, until Stacy''s voice sliced through, bright and full of energy. "Hi, I’m Stacy ?^ >ヮ<^?!" she said, her brown hair bouncing as she breezed past Elissa, the contrast between her exuberance and the tension hanging in the air striking.


    Her accent, rich and vibrant, punctuated her words with a theatrical flair that immediately drew the room''s attention. “Hi, I’m Stacy,” she repeated with a grin that felt like sunlight breaking through clouds. Her energy was impossible to ignore, as though the very space around her buzzed with life.


    Elissa blinked, momentarily thrown off balance, before her grin returned, widening with an almost teasing gleam. The air around them lightened, but the tension between me and Eli still lingered, thick and heavy.


    Elissa raised an eyebrow, mischief flickering in her eyes. "Wait. Hold on," she said, eyes narrowing with mock intensity. "Was that a British accent?"


    Stacy smirked, clearly amused, and leaned in slightly, lowering her voice with playful approval. "Good ear, love /??- ? -?マ," she said, lacing her words with a rhythm that invited Elissa in.


    Elissa’s grin widened. “Let me guess,” she said, her eyes gleaming. “Manchester?”


    Stacy leaned back, holding back a laugh. “Not quite.”


    Aiden let out a soft groan, his discomfort palpable. His gaze flicked between me and Eli, and then to the girls, uncertainty clouding his expression.


    "Scouser, then?" Elissa teased, her voice rising with the thrill of a mystery to be solved.


    “Not even close,” Stacy replied, her smile curling deeper into amusement.


    “Oh, don’t tell me!” Elissa exclaimed, throwing up her hands. “You’re from… London /? ? ? ?マ ?”


    “Sort of,” Stacy said, drawing out the tease. “But you''re being far too general, innit? East End, if you want specifics. ???????”


    Elissa’s eyes widened in realization. “East London! Cockney! I knew it. Proper charm /???ヮ??マ!” Her glee was contagious, breaking the tension ever so slightly.


    But Eli’s gaze shifted, sharp as a hawk. His attention snapped to Stacy, a predatory gleam in his eyes. "You''ve got quite the introduction style, don''t you?" His voice, soft but edged with something colder, flicked between Stacy and Aiden.


    Stacy gave a bright smile, the sarcasm laced in her voice. "Someone’s gotta lighten the mood you know /? - ? -マ."


    Before any more words could slip through the cracks, frustration pushed mine out sharper than intended. "Nothing important," I said, my voice brittle and strained. I locked eyes with Elissa, trying to keep the weight from my chest hidden. “Let’s just keep moving.”


    Elissa didn’t seem convinced. Her gaze flicked between me and Stacy, then back to Eli, silent questions hanging in the air.


    “So, are we going to stand here all day, or are we going to talk /?? ? ? ?\?”


    My breath caught. I could feel the weight of the words gathering in my throat. “What do you want, Eli?”


    “Well…” He leaned in, voice low and taunting. “How about a little competition? Arcade. You and me.”


    Aiden glanced at me, searching my face, his eyes pleading with uncertainty. Panic clawed at my throat, but I steadied myself. “Fine,” I said, voice brittle, the words slipping out more coldly than I intended. I met his eyes, unwilling to break first. "But what about them?" I motioned toward Elissa and Stacy. "They’re not involved in this."


    Eli’s gaze flicked to them, but his interest barely lingered. His eyes softened, calculating, before returning to me. He shrugged, his indifference obvious. “They’ll be fine. Won’t they?” He didn’t look like he cared either way.


    My stomach tightened, but I didn’t let him see it. "We’ll see about that."


    [End of Chapter]