That nervous gesture made her stomach twist with doubt. “Uh…” His voice cracked, thin and wavering, nothing like the steady, composed tone she had expected from a veteran. It was quiet, almost as if he hoped his response wouldn’t reach her ears. “I’m not sure…”
Kristen blinked in confusion, her mind racing to reconcile his words with the image she had built in her head. The certainty she had carried since giving him her seat began to fray at the edges, unraveling like a delicate thread pulled too hard.