I stood frozen behind the door with my fingers curled around the handle, hesitating for one endless second before I finally wrenched it open.
A frigid blast of wind, thick with the promise of rain, lashed at my face. There, collapsed on the doorstep like a broken marionette, was Ethan. He was drenched to the bone, and his shirt plastered itself to his trembling body.
His face was deathly pale, but his eyes burned with stubborn defiance as they locked onto mine. When he saw me, he struggled to his feet, and his eyes lit up with fragile hope.
But as I took in his pathetic state, my heartbeat remained steady. No storm of emotions stirred inside me. Only the bitter cold registered as the wind sliced through me like knives.
His fingers clawed into my shoulders like talons. "Aria!" His voice
