Page 171 of Silent Shadows

My smile is grim. “It quite literally is.”

“No,” he says, stepping closer. “Grant escalated this. The listeners⁠—”

“I brought them here.” My voice cracks. “I made this into content.”

“You told a story.”

“Or I tried to. But the execs don’t like my angle, and my only angle is honesty. So what’s the point?”

Silence.

Rain ticks softly against metal.

Miles exhales once, trying so hard to stay calm.

“We can contain this. Keep moving on the trail in the morning.”

Contain. There it is again. Something ugly blooms in my chest.

“Do you ever hear yourself?”

His brow furrows. “What?”

“You’re already back to the mission.”

“That isn’t fair.”

“No?” My laugh shakes. “You didn’t even look at me today, let alone talk to me or check on me.”

His expression flickers.

“Daisy—”

“You believe in this,” I whisper, gesturing helplessly toward the trees. “You believe in Bigfoot.”

He goes still.

“You look at it like something magical. Impossible, but real.”

Rain gathers in my lashes.

“And I don’t think you look at me that way.”

His face changes, like I hit something unguarded.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“That isn’t true.”

“Then why does it feel like you don’t believe in me? At least you know I’m real. But maybe that’s the problem.”

He reaches for me. Too little, too late. I step back. Pain flashes across his face so quickly it almost undoes me.

“You believe in impossible things, Miles. You fight for them.” My voice cracks. “But I think people only fight for me when I’m useful.”

He looks at me, torn apart, trying to find words. The rain falls harder.