The slap had been so sudden, so completely unexpected, that none of my skills had helped me see it coming. Not Reflex Calibration, not Instinct, nothing. They should have detected the muscle tension in her arm, the shift in her posture, the micro-expressions that preceded physical violence. But they'd remained completely silent, offering no warning whatsoever.
Perhaps it was due to the fact that a part of me, the one that assessed dangers and devised reactions, had never viewed Sienna as a potential source of harm. Or perhaps it was due to my intense focus on completing my confession that I overlooked all the signals my skills were trying to tell me.
Yet, beneath the surface, I had a feeling it was something completely different. I feel like my subconscious was so eager to prevent Sienna from being this upset that it completely ignored the possibility. Even when all the proof was right there. All of it being in front of me.
