Had they been alone, Adam might have let her go; it was clear to stay meant further discomfort for her, and that to ask her to do so against her will was the most selfish of requests. But had they been alone, they would have been eating some time ago, sharing easy conversation over the odd combination of burgers, shakes, and red wine, with no telling black bruise to disturb either of them. As it was, though, Adam knew that was no option at all. James' expression made it perfectly clear what Adam was meant to do, and hinted strongly at the ramifications of ignoring this silent missive. And so, with lips drawn thin and brow faintly furrowed, Adam took another step, trying to meet Alex's eyes.
"Alex, please stay," he said, sounding every bit as exhausted as she. "James and I'll work this out later. We won't ruin your dinner any more with it, okay?" Sure, he thought, let's all sit and talk about how wonderful it is to have the old band back together.