Emily stayed impossibly calm. Her face didn't flicker, not even for a second.

Tristan stared at her, trying to catch some sign, anything, that she felt something. But her eyes gave away nothing. Not even a tiny change.

He just couldn't wrap his head around it. Was he really that unappealing to her? Did she feel nothing for him? The thought stung. If Emily actually loved him, wouldn't she react at least a little?

His mind kept circling back to what Andrew had said earlier. That talk about a diamond ring was it even real? The memory pressed down on his chest, a dull ache settling in.

Emily picked up on his mood right away. "What's going on? Did I say something wrong?"

Tristan looked up at her, his voice low. "No, it's nothing."

She could tell he was lost in his head. "Come on, what are you thinking about?"

He hesitated, then shook his head. "Really, it's nothing."

He didn't want to say it out loud. He didn't want to ask. He was scared of the answer, scared that just by voicing it, he'd mess up whatever fragile peace they had. Things were fine right now. He could see how Emily acted with him. He trusted her not to get mixed up with Andrew. This was enough. It had to be.

Emily went quiet for a moment, then guessed, "Did Andrew say something to you? Is that why you got so mad you hit him?"

Tristan's answer was vague. "He brought up your past. I didn't want to hear it, so I punched him."

"Was that really it?" she pressed.

"That's all," he said, not meeting her eyes.

Emily studied him. She knew he was hiding something, but she couldn't figure out what, or why Andrew's words needed to be kept secret.

She didn't want to push him any further. Instead, she just nodded and said, "Don't listen to anything Andrew says. Just trust me, okay? Can you do that?"

His eyes flickered, like he was fighting the urge to spill everything he'd been holding inside. Maybe Andrew hadn't told the truth. Maybe things weren't as bad as they seemed.

He almost spoke up, more than once, but every time the words got stuck. What if

Andrew was telling the truth? What if he wasn't just trying to mess with him?

For the first time in his life, Tristan felt pulled in two directions at once. The feeling was suffocating, like his heart was being squeezed, his chest tight and his head cloudy with worry.

He hated this. He just wanted it all to go back to normal.

"I..." He started, but his voice cracked. He cleared his throat. "Okay. I get it. I won't listen to him. I'll listen to you."

Emily just nodded.

Tristan looked at her like she was the only thing that mattered. How could someone look so perfect? She fit everything he ever wanted if only Andrew wasn't in the picture, things would be so much easier.

He was still lost in his thoughts when Emily broke the silence. "The ointment's

almost dry. You should get dressed, or you'll catch a cold."

Tristan paused, noticing how Emily suddenly avoided his gaze, her eyes darting to the side. He watched her for a second and spotted the faint blush on her ears.

Her expression was just a little off, too.