I smiled, but my conversation was directed to Kyle. “Thanks for the invite, Kyle,” I said, nodding to him. “I didn’t have time to bring a gift, though.”
Kyle waved a hand. “Don’t worry, Maisie. Desar’s covered it.”
I resisted the urge to laugh. Even this was taken care of for me, an afterthought.
The seating arrangement felt deliberate—me across from Desar, with Elize beside him, her chair angled just slightly toward his. I chose to ignore the awkwardness, pretending the slight didn’t bother me as I focused on the meal in front of me.
While I kept quiet, Desar laughed and joked with them as if I weren’t even there. I noticed the way he peeled shrimp for Elize, carefully setting them on her plate, a small smile softening his usually impassive face. I felt a dull ache watching him. He’d never done that for me, not once. But with her, he acted like it was second nature, a familiar, affectionate gesture he didn’t even think twice about.
“Don’t forget about Maisie,” Kyle jokes, giving me a sympathetic smile. “Can’t have you favoring one over the other, Desar.”