The line stayed open.
Nothing came through at first.
Emma stood still, fingers locked around the device. The glow of the screen sat sharp in her eyes.
Brandon didn't move. He just watched her, quiet.
"Say it," she said at last, voice calm and even.
A breath slipped through the speaker.
"I'm nearby," Evan said.
Her grip tightened.
Her thumb pressed into the edge of the device until her knuckles paled.
"You don't get to be nearby," she said.
No rise in her voice. No crack. Just final.
The silence stretched.
Then—
"I just want us to hang out… talk," Evan said, softer now.
Emma let out a short breath through her nose.
Almost a laugh, but not quite.
"You always just want to stick around." She shifted the device against her ear and leaned back in her chair. "Evan... I'm mated."
"I know." His low chuckle crackled through the device.
Her hand dipped a little, the device lowering for a moment.
Her eyes shifted towards Brandon.
