Silent Strangers

TWENTY THREE

Chapter TWENTY THREE:

Tobias

As we walked off the stage and out of the glaring lights, I could feel Grace's tension ease, though only slightly. She kept her head high, her strides confident, but her fingers twitched at her side. Without thinking, I reached out, my hand brushing against hers. She didn't flinch, didn't pull away. Instead, she let our fingers tangle briefly before slipping her hand fully into mine.

"I didn't know you had such a knack for public speaking," I teased as we stepped into the hallway, the clamor of reporters fading behind the closing doors.

Grace gave me a sideways glance, the corner of her mouth lifting in a soft, wry smile. "Neither did I. Must be the company I keep."I chuckled, shaking my head. "Well, you handled it better than I did my first time. Let's just say there was a lot of rambling and an unfortunate microphone incident."

That earned a genuine laugh from her, the kind that reached her eyes and made her shoulders drop just a little more. "I'll make sure to remind you of that next time you act like you have it all together."

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, Anya's sharp voice cut in. "You two were fantastic. But don't get too comfortable. This was just the beginning."We both turned to see her striding toward us, her clipboard tucked under one arm and her phone in the other hand. Her heels clicked against the tiled floor with a precision that matched 

her no-nonsense demeanor.

"Fantastic?" I raised an eyebrow. "Coming from you, that's practically a standing ovation."

Anya shot me a look that could cut glass. "Don't push your luck, Tobias. There's still a lot of work to do. And next time, be careful with the leg-touching. It was a nice moment, but too much of that, and the tabloids will run with 'engagement staged for romance points.'"

Grace's cheeks flushed, but she nodded. "Noted."Anya softened, her gaze shifting to Grace. "You really were great. Just keep channeling that grace under pressure—pun not intended—and you'll be fine."

As Anya walked off, already muttering about follow-ups and damage control, Grace let out a long breath, leaning against the wall. "Is this really what the next five months are going to be like?"

I leaned beside her, our shoulders just brushing. "Probably worse. But hey, you survived round one.""Barely." She let out a dry laugh before turning to me, her expression serious now. "Thanks for stepping in earlier. When she asked about the rumors, I...""You don't have to thank me," I interrupted. "We're in this together, remember? United front, all that."Her lips twitched into another small smile, and for a moment, the weight of everything felt a little lighter.

The elevator doors dinged open, and we stepped inside, side by side. As the doors closed, she glanced at me. "Do you ever wish it was different?"

The question caught me off guard, but I didn't look away. "Yeah," I admitted, my voice quiet. "But wishing doesn't change much. We've got what we've got. Might as well make the best of it."She nodded, her gaze thoughtful. "You're not as bad at this as I thought you'd be."

I grinned. "Careful, Grace. That almost sounded like a compliment."

She rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth tugged upward despite herself. "Don't let it go to your head."The elevator dinged again, signaling our arrival. The doors slid open, and the cool evening air greeted us as we stepped out into the parking lot. For a moment, the world felt quieter, more manageable.

As we parted ways to our respective cars, I found myself lingering for just a second longer than necessary. Watching Grace walk away, head held high despite everything, I felt a strange mix of admiration and unease.

Five months felt like a lifetime, and yet, it wasn't nearly long enough to figure out the puzzle that was Grace Reeds—or the one I was becoming in the process.