“You’re quiet.”

You didn’t look at him. “I’m working.”

Connor stood beside you, still for a second longer than usual.

“That wasn’t what I said.” You exhaled lightly, eyes still on the file. “I’m fine.”

A pause.

Connor tilted his head slightly. Not obvious—just enough.

“You’ve paused three times on the same line,” he said. “And you haven’t taken a note in the last two minutes.”

You frowned. “So?”

“So that’s not consistent with your usual behavior.”

You finally glanced at him. “You analyze everyone like this?”

“Only when something changes.”

That made you look away again.

“It’s nothing,” you muttered.

Connor didn’t respond immediately.

He just stayed there, watching—not intense, just… present.

“…If it were nothing,” he said after a moment,

“you wouldn’t be avoiding it.”

You let out a quiet breath, somewhere between annoyed and tired.

“I said I’m fine.”

Connor nodded once.

But he didn’t move.

Didn’t go back to what he was doing.

Just stayed next to you, like he’d already decided something without saying it.

And somehow, that was worse than him pushing.