>Mallory
"You can, but…" his words trailed off, drifting into the quiet kitchen air. The unfinished sentence hung between us for a moment. My brows furrowed in confusion when he suddenly rose from his seat. His chair scraped lightly against the marble floor, and before I had a chance to react, he placed his palm gently over my forehead.
The warmth of his hand startled me. I sat completely frozen, catching my breath with the sudden closeness.
"W-what are you doing?" I questioned, my voice stumbling out in a shaky stutter. Heat crawled up my face from the sudden intimacy of his gesture.
"You sure you look well enough for this conversation?" he asked as he pulled back and settled into his seat again. My brow furrowed.
"I can do it just fine," I replied, making sure my voice sounded final. I held his gaze, refusing to waver.
