"Do you?" The question escaped before Natalia could stop it, raw and vulnerable in the empty space between them. "Love him?"
Skylar was quiet for a long moment, turning the unlit cigarette between her fingers with mechanical precision. The silence stretched until Natalia thought she might not answer at all.
Finally, Skylar shrugged with studied casualness that didn't quite land. "I'm working on it. The whole falling for a manipulative bastard thing is new for me. Usually I'm smart enough to see the red flags and run before they can sink their hooks in."
"But you didn't run."
"No." Skylar's smile went sharp and self-deprecating, all edges and regret. "I kissed him on a balcony and let him hook me on divine heroin instead. Top-tier decision-making right there."
