(Ryan's POV)
I headed downstairs, still feeling the weight of the encounter with Ashleigh like a knot in my chest that wouldn’t loosen.
I couldn’t shake the image of her red eyes, brimming with unshed tears. The way she’d pulled away from me like near me somehow made it worse.
I told myself to let it go, but still, here I was... Still thinking about her.
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, Caleb's dad was standing beside the dining room table gathering up stacks of paperwork into neat piles. His movements were methodical, but his shoulders were tense, his expression weighed down with something heavier than exhaustion.
"Hey, Mr Andrews," I greeted him with a smile that I hoped looked sincere.
“Ryan,” he replied, offering a small, tired smile in return. “You didn't happen to see A
