The Weight of Her Absence

Across the table, Kaelen caught it—the flicker in Roth’s eyes, the muscle ticking in his jaw, the faint, involuntary clench of his fists against his knees. He knew him too well to miss it; beneath that cool exterior, Roth was seething.

Kaelen cleared his throat lightly, slicing through the charged silence.

“Why are you so worked up, Bas?” he asked, his tone smooth but laced with quiet amusement.