Alcuin had been taught to read people, and he knew well enough what Shannon was thinking, even if he hadn't said a word of it.

"They never arrested me at all," he said quietly. "No evidence. Just tabloid fodder..."

He waited and beat, and then finally said, "For the record, Shannon, I'm... retired. And it's complicated. But I am truly sorry. I genuinely thought you knew. I just thought..." He'd thought that he didn't care, which had been so nice. "I would understand if you didn't want to be seen with me."