The muscles in her cheek twitched. She pressed her lips together until the rasping gasps subsided. I could tell she was trying to stop crying.

I blinked back my own tears. As the blurriness went away, I saw Levi standing in front of us. Before the relief at his return could sink in, I saw his face change. He took in the scene, me and Elodie standing too close, our mouths too near. His cheeks bloomed red, and his mouth pinched into a hard, straight line. His fingers tightened around the bottle of water. Then he turned away and began walking toward the exit on his long legs. He didn’t look back once. Each stride took him farther, and further, away from me.

The room spun. My legs were shackled in place. I felt my chest tighten and snap, like a used rubber band. Scraped thin, yanked around and around. I pressed my fingers to my temple and took several ragged breaths. Around me, the animated chatter faded to the buzzing drone of an insect. Too close to be avoided, but flying past my ears at breakneck speed.

“Babe?” Elodie’s face swam into my vision. Smile composed, cheeks dry. She held my face, but her touch was all wrong.

The world came rushing back, every sound and sight and smell overwhelming and obnoxious in its vibrancy. Shame stabbed at me. I’d ruined Levi’s exhibition. He’d stalked out of here and was probably halfway to the parking lot by now. I gasped, tearing myself away from Elodie.

I couldn’t let him leave like this.

I ran after him, determined to catch him before he got into his car. I rounded the corner of the hallway, shoes slapping against the wooden floor. When I burst through the door, I swung my gaze, trying to find him. He was almost halfway to his car.

“Levi!” I shouted. His feet faltered in a fumbling half step, but he didn’t stop.

I caught up to him easily, catching his swinging arm and stopping him in his tracks. “It wasn’t what it looked like,” I said, and I knew at once it was the wrong thing to say, before his pained expression turned angry in a heartbeat.

“Seriously?” He wrenched himself free. “That’s all you have to say?”

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it that way. Nothing happened, I swear.”

“You know, I really want to believe you, but…” He took a step away.

“How could you”—I stabbed my finger in his direction—“think that I would kiss her when I’m here with you?”

“Because I saw the two of you!” Levi’s eyes glowed, hurt, furious. “God!”

He was overreacting, he had to see that, I had to make him see that. “Levi, no—”