Jace's fingers tightened against his knees, the tension in his body so obvious it seemed to fill the entire room. His knuckles were white, his jaw clenched, and his shoulders rigid as if he were bracing for impact. He stared down at the carpet for a long moment, as though the words he needed were written somewhere between the threads but refused to appear clearly enough for him to read.
Jay sat beside him, equally tense, though his gaze kept shifting toward Bella as if he were trying to measure how much truth she could handle at once. His usual easy grin was nowhere to be found. The joking, carefree man she knew had been replaced by someone serious.
"The problem," Jace said slowly, his voice rough with nerves, "is not us."
Bella frowned slightly, confusion knitting her brows together. Her arms were still crossed, but the firmness in her posture had softened.
"Then what is it?"
