Jay froze.
That second stretched endlessly. The fire crackled again, the wall clock ticked softly, and the world seemed to stop right at Liv's words.
"What… do you mean?" Jay asked at last, his voice much lower.
Liv swallowed. Her hands trembled, but she didn't pull them away.
"Answer me first," she said softly. "If it were me… would you believe it?"
Jay stared at her intently, as if searching for an opening for a joke, a lie, or simple exhaustion that might explain her words.
"Liv," he said slowly, "that's not possible."
"That's not my question," Liv interrupted gently."I asked… would you believe it?"
Jay fell silent for a long time. His expression shifted not anger, not denial but a confusion so deep it almost hurt to look at.
"I…" Jay ran a rough hand through his hair."I don't know what I'm supposed to believe."
Liv smiled faintly. A fragile smile.
"That's enough," she said.
Jay frowned. "Enough?"
