Savannah's suitcase thumped against the wall as she dragged it into the hallway.
Jace was behind her, silent except for the soft creak of the floorboards under his boots.
He hadn't offered to help. He never had.
And yet somehow, his presence filled every inch of the space between them.
"You're in my room," she said over her shoulder, not bothering to hide the edge in her voice.
Jace crossed his arms, leaning against the opposite wall like he had nowhere better to be. "It's Noah's house. Didn't realize it was still 'your room.'"
She turned. "Pretty sure the stuffed animal headboard says otherwise."
His mouth twitched. "Didn't look that closely."
"Liar."
A pause stretched between them.
Tight. Heavy.
Unbearable.
She stepped closer. Not enough to touch. Just enough to challenge.
"You're really going to act like nothing happened that night?"
Jace's jaw flexed.
He didn't flinch. Didn't blink. Just stared at her like she was a fire he couldn't afford to stand too close to.
"That night…" he said slowly, "…shouldn't have happened."
Savannah's heart skipped.
It hadn't happened. Not really.
There'd been no kiss.
No skin.
Just too much alcohol, one look that lasted too long, and her asking, "Do you ever think about it? About us?"
And him -
Shutting her down so fast, it had left a scar.
She tried to laugh, but it came out brittle. "Right. Because it was such a mistake."
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
Silence again.
Then he pushed off the wall and took one step toward her. "You were twenty-one. Drunk. Emotional. And your brother's little sister. I made the right call."
"Oh, congratulations, Jace. Must feel good being the noble one."
His eyes darkened. "Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Act like you don't know why I walked away."
"Oh, I know why," she snapped. "You didn't want me. You just didn't want to be the asshole who proved it."
He was in front of her in two steps.
Not touching. But close.
So damn close.
"You think I didn't want you?" he said, voice low and sharp. "You think that's why I walked out that night?"
Her throat tightened.
He stared at her - lips parted like he was going to say something else.
But he didn't.
Instead, he turned and walked into the kitchen, leaving her breathless and furious and aching in ways she thought she'd buried.