And I know exactly what’s inside.
Waiting.
I stare at it, at the handle, at the stupid pull that would take all of two seconds to slide open.My hand hovers, hesitation tightening in my chest.
I could read it.I could finally see whatever bullshit excuse he tried to give me.
But what if… what if it changes nothing?
Or worse—what if it changes everything?
My throat tightens.My fingers curl into a fist, shaking slightly at my side.
No.
Not now.Not ever.
I’m not that girl anymore.
My breath catches in my throat, but I rip my gaze away, spin on my heel, and march straight back to my bedroom.
And if I slam my door shut behind me?
That’s no one’s business but mine.
CHAPTER10
Joel
Iwake up feeling like I got hit by a freight train.
Not from alcohol.I wasn’t drinking last night—not enough to explain the heavy ache in my skull or the knots in my stomach, anyway.
No, this has to do with one thing an one thing only.
Anna.
Anna and the storm that’s been brewing between us since the moment I set foot back in Duluth.Since the moment I saw her again.
Since the moment she looked at me with something other than loathing—something that might’ve been fear.
Not fear of me, necessarily.At least, I hope to hell that’s not it.
I push up onto my elbows, staring at the ceiling.It’s too early for this shit.
And yet, my brain is already spinning out of control, playing and replaying last night.The way she bolted from Nocté like she couldn’t get away fast enough, the way I found her waiting when I got home—calm on the surface, but with that barely restrained tension humming beneath.The way we argued in the doorway, her voice sharp, then wavering, then something else entirely.Something I don’t know how to name.
I squeeze my eyes shut and exhale through my nose.
Get a grip, Joel.
This isn’t a second chance or a rekindled spark.
Anna Changhatesme.And she has every right to.
But thatlook.I can’t shake it.
Something sharp.Something unguarded.Something that cracked through all the walls she’s built between us and let me see what’s still underneath.