Cassidy forced a laugh as she faced Nova, trying to hide the negative emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. The fear that had been gnawing at her since she spotted him, and the guilt that had now attached itself to her, were things she couldn’t afford to let him see. She raised an eyebrow and playfully accused him, "So, Nova, are you stalking me now?"
Nova’s lips curled into a smirk, his eyes dancing with amusement and something else, something she couldn’t quite place. "Stalking you? Hardly. I’m just enjoying a well deserved vacation," he said, leaning back casually against the wall. "Besides, I can’t be trusted to stay home alone. Bad things happen when I'm left to my own devices," he added, his tone light but with a hint of darkness.
Cassidy swallowed, trying to maintain her comp
