Ivan's voice lowered, steady but strained, as though he was trying to keep himself from reacting the wrong way again. "Let's talk in the library," he said.
His tone held the kind of restraint that made it clear he was trying to avoid another clash, but Axel didn't move.
He didn't even shift his weight. He stood exactly where he was, his expression quiet and unreadable, refusing to take even a single step in the direction Ivan wanted.
"If we keep spending time together in private areas, will we not be making it easy for people to figure out what's going on between us? And clearly you'd rather die than anyone finding out that we actually love each other." Axel answered, his voice flat but edged, as though every word was placed carefully to keep the hurt from spilling too openly.
Ivan took a small step closer, almost closing the space between them even though the conversation was already heading toward sharpness.
