Page 348 of Bad Prince
To me.
And everything changes.
His eyes darken.
Not cold.
Not soft.
Something deeper.
More dangerous.
“Don’t do that,” he says quietly.
I blink.
“What?”
His voice sharpens.
“Don’t act like you’re above it.”
That hits.
Unexpected.
“You walked away,” he continues, stepping closer now. “You made your choice, Stella.”
Each word lands heavier.
“You don’t get to disappear for months, shut me out, decide I’m not worth it—give me bedroom eyes—pretend you didn’t…”
A beat.
“—and then come back swinging like you still own something here.”
My breath catches.
Because he’s not wrong.
And he knows it.
His voice lowers.
Quieter.
But more intense.
“I’m not something you pick up when it’s convenient.”
That one sinks deep.
He exhales, dragging a hand through his hair.
“I cared about you,” he says, softer now. “I still—” He stops himself. Then finally—“I’m not playing this like a game,” he says.
His eyes move between us.
