I was pretty sure I’d never been accused of “yammering” in my life, and I was about to show Alexander what real yammering was, but David tugged my elbow, pulling me toward the door. “Let’s get out of here, Pres.”

I followed him through the house, and as we got close to the front door, a loose board tripped me, the tip of my shoe catching its lip. David paused, but I gave him a little wave, saying, “I’m fine, no worries.” But as I looked back at the board, I noticed it wasn’t the only one that was loose. There were a couple that were warped and not fitting flush against the floor anymore. That was weird. As was how... unshiny the hardwood looked. And when I glanced at the wall, I could see wallpaper peeling in the corners. Even the paintings seemed less glowy than before.

Maybe whatever magic Alexander had used to make this place was fading. Or maybe it looked worse in the afternoon sun. I had no idea, and at the moment, my brain was so full of thoughts, I couldn’t stop to consider that.

We paused on the porch, David’s hands thrust into his pockets, my own dangling limply at my side. I had no idea what I wanted him to say. We weren’t fine. No matter what had happened last night, we weren’t back together, and none of the issues between us had been solved. I knew that, and from the slump in his shoulders, I think he must have, too.

“Guess you don’t have to do the pageant now,” he finally said. The afternoon light was turning his hair a dark gold, almost the same color as Alexander’s. I could hear the hum of insects, the soft whisper of the breeze through the tall grass, and all I wanted to do was step back into his arms like I had yesterday after the golf course.

But I stayed where I was on my side of the steps, watching David. “I guess I don’t,” I agreed, “but I might as well at this point. I think Sara Plumley might actually murder me if I dropped out.”

That made him smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes, and I felt a million unsaid words sitting between us.

“Pres, about last night—”

“If you say you’re sorry,” I interrupted, “I’ll murder you. Not that I can, of course, but I could try.”

This time, his smile was genuine, but there was something sad in it. “I wasn’t going to. I was going to say... Look, it’s not like I can say it didn’t change things, exactly, but...”

My chest hurt, but it had nothing to do with any Paladin powers.

“But it’s still easier when we’re not together,” I finished, and David sighed, his eyes searching the horizon.