Lucian waited.
The room held its breath around the choice.
Julian stood near the door with his hand resting against the handle, feeling the quiet press of the apartment behind him. The city outside the tall windows had darkened while they spoke. The lights across the skyline had turned sharp and cold, reflecting faintly across the polished floor.
Leaving would have been simple.
He could walk out of the apartment, take the elevator down, step back into the street where taxis moved and people argued over late dinners and nothing about the night required explanation.
Normal life waited out there.
Julian knew it.
He also knew he wasn't going back to it.
Not tonight.
He let go of the door handle.
The movement was small, almost careless, but it shifted the room in a way Julian couldn't explain.
Lucian's eyes followed the motion.
Neither of them spoke.
Julian turned and walked back into the apartment.
