Third-person POV
After a few long seconds of silence, Irina would turn back to face Penelope, the tension between them hanging as the silence stretched longer than it should have. The cigarette between her fingers had burned lower without her noticing, the ash barely holding on before it dropped to the ground, but she didn't look down at it.
"Tell me what's really going on," Irina said finally, her voice lower this time, but still firm enough to show that she wasn't asking casually. She held Penelope's gaze, watching her closely, trying to read the emotions that were so clearly sitting on the surface now. "What suddenly made you start questioning how I feel about you as a friend?" she added, her brows pulling together slightly. "And don't give me something vague. I want the real reason."
