Standing in Public

[POV Elara]

I stood paralyzed, the broken cardboard box pressed hard against my chest. My breath trapped itself in my dry throat. The name hung in the tense air between us, shattering the fragile, fake identity I had worn into this house. He knew. Kaelen knew exactly who I was.

He raised a dark eyebrow, his grip on my arm unyielding. "I asked you a question."

"I... I don't..." My voice cracked.