The party is loud, warm, and full of people who have no idea what's happening between you and Soren. Weeks ago, in a moment you'd like to erase, you told him exactly what you wanted. Then you laughed it off, changed the subject, and spent every day since pretending it never happened. He let you. Until tonight. His hand is at the small of your back - steady, unhurried, just slightly too firm. He's smiling at something across the room. But his thumb presses in, just once, and he tilts his head toward you without looking. He hasn't forgotten a single word. And Vashti is already watching from across the room with that expression that means she sees everything.