Instinct screamed at her to look away, to abandon whatever rogue thoughts of allowing this to continue, to flee the room entirely and carry on with her evening. However, the longer their eyes held the less Rosalie wanted to look away. It had been years since she last allowed herself to meet his gaze without a thought otherwise, years since she last felt he was looking at her with something other than bitterness. She never wanted to stop looking at him.

Unfortunately, neither of them had dressed as statues for the evening's event, which meant they had to move on eventually.

(They always had to move on.)

Ultimately, Rosalie looked away first in favor of smiling her hello to a friend who had recognized her. The evening took her further away from Ezra then. She danced with two men — neither dance a waltz, Rosalie had yet to return to the waltz after their breakup — and enjoyed no less than two flutes of champagne as she wandered from room to room. Even so, the weight and intensity of Ezra's stare remained with her, as did her growing desire to challenge him into action.

The opportunity came later in the evening, when they had both returned to one of the smaller, darker rooms. And, although she continued to make no move to physically approach him, Rosalie raised her glass in a otherwise silent salute.

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