Ronan did not look away, and the longer his gaze stayed on hers, steady and unhurried in a way that felt too deliberate to ignore, the more Aria became aware of the quiet discomfort settling beneath her skin, not sharp enough to call fear, but not something she could just brush off either.
It was not the kind of staring she was used to, not careless or obvious or easy to dismiss, because there was something controlled in it, something patient, like he was not just looking at her but waiting for her to slip.
Aria shifted slightly, more out of instinct than decision, trying to ground herself in something normal, even though nothing about the moment felt normal anymore.
"You are staring," she said.
"I know," Ronan replied.
That threw her off.
Not the answer she expected, and definitely not the tone, because there was no apology in it, no attempt to soften it, just quiet certainty like he had no reason to pretend otherwise.
Aria held his gaze for a second longer, then looked away, like that might give her some control back.
It did not.
"You are thinking too hard," he said.
Her eyes snapped back to his. "You do not know what I am thinking."
"Maybe not everything," he said, and there was the faintest pause before he added, "but enough."
Something in her chest tightened, and she hated that he noticed.
Because he did.
He tilted his head slightly, studying her in a way that felt closer than it should have been, like the space between them had shifted without either of them moving.
"You do that," he said, quieter now. "Right before you say something that is not true."
Aria went still.
Just for a second.
It was enough.
"How would you know that," she asked, and this time there was an edge in her voice she did not bother hiding.
Ronan did not answer immediately, and for a brief moment something flickered across his expression, something restrained, almost like he had considered saying more and stopped himself.
"I pay attention," he said.
That was it.
Too simple.
Before she could respond, his hand brushed against hers where it rested at her side, the contact light but not accidental, and it lingered just long enough to make her aware of it in a way she did not like.
Aria pulled her hand back.
Too late.
Her pulse had already given her away.
"You are watching me," she said, quieter now.
Ronan did not look away. "No."
A pause.
"I am understanding you."
That was worse.
It sat somewhere deeper than it should have, not quite fear, but close enough that she did not want to think about it too much.
"Aria."
The voice cut in cleanly.
She turned immediately.
Cassian stood a few steps away, his posture relaxed, but there was nothing relaxed about the way he was looking at them.
He had been watching.
For how long, she did not know, and something about that made her chest feel tight in a different way.
"You are needed," he said.
Not a question.
Aria hesitated.
Just a second.
Cassian noticed.
His gaze shifted briefly to Ronan, something colder settling there, something controlled but very real.
"I will not repeat myself," he added.
Quieter this time.
That made it worse.
Aria straightened, forcing her expression back into something neutral, something that would not give anything away.
"I heard you," she said.
But she still did not move.
She could still feel it, that brief contact, the way it lingered longer than it should have, and the fact that it mattered at all annoyed her more than anything else.
"You should go," Ronan said.
His voice had settled back into calm, but there was something under it now, something harder to read.
Aria glanced at him. "You sound like you are giving me permission."
A faint shift in his expression.
"I am telling you what you already decided."
That made her pause.
Because for a second, she was not sure he was wrong.
"Aria."
Cassian again.
Sharper this time.
That broke it.
She turned fully and stepped away, even though the movement felt heavier than it should have, like she was leaving something unfinished behind.
When she reached him, Cassian's attention settled completely on her, his gaze assessing in a way that made it clear he was looking for something specific.
"You are distracted," he said.
"I am not."
Too quick.
She knew it.
He knew it.
Cassian's eyes narrowed slightly, not in anger, just recognition.
"Be careful," he said quietly. "I will stop you before you ruin this for everyone."
The words stayed there, heavier than they should have been.
Ruin what.
She did not ask.
She was not sure she wanted the answer.
Aria glanced back once.
Ronan had not moved.
He was still watching her, the same steady focus, but now there was something else beneath it, something quieter, something that felt like he already knew how this would play out.
Her chest tightened.
And for the first time, the certainty she usually relied on did not feel so solid.
Because standing there, caught between the two of them, one thing became uncomfortably clear.
She did not know which of them she should be more afraid of.
And worse, she was not sure she wanted to find out.