"You've been avoiding me."
"It is not a question," Willow said. "Noted. I have been busy."
"And before that?" he asked.
"Also busy."
A low exhale escaped him, almost a laugh that did not quite form. He watched her steadily as he said, "You usually return calls."
"Not always."
"No," he agreed, his voice lower now. "Not always."
Her jaw tightened and she held his gaze without flinching. He did not get to be gentle with her after everything that had happened.
"Is this the issue?" she asked. "Because if it is, it belongs outside this room."
He allowed silence to settle between them, cool and deliberate, as if silence itself were part of the conversation. Only after several seconds did he speak again.
"You should have told me about Christy's invitation."
The words pressed against a bruise she had hidden well.
Her spine stayed straight and her expression did not change. "There was nothing to tell. She invited several people."
