"Do you trust me… or not?"
The question didn't echo. It settled.
Jay stood close enough to feel the heat coming off Roman's body, close enough to see the slight shift in his eyes, the way something flickered there and disappeared just as quickly. For a second, it almost looked like Roman might answer honestly. Like he might say something that actually meant something.
But he didn't.
Roman exhaled slowly, his jaw tightening just a fraction. "Where is all this coming from, Jay?"
Jay stared at him.
"Really?"
That single word landed harder than anything louder would have.
The silence that followed wasn't empty. It was thick. Pressing. Jay held his gaze for another second, then stepped back, breaking the space between them. He turned and walked out of the kitchen, his movements controlled, steady, but not calm.
Roman watched him go.
Then he followed.
