Hearing the front door creak open, all heads turned instinctively toward the entrance. Hazel stood there, a radiant smile on her face until she took in the strange tension hanging thick in the air. Her expression faltered.
She stepped fully into the room, scanning each face, piecing together the awkward silence. She immediately recognized Freya as Ava’s friend. Cole, however, remained a question mark—perhaps Charlotte’s boyfriend? Or Freya’s? But nothing could explain the deep sadness in Ava’s eyes or the dried tear tracks on her cheeks.
“Hey, Hazel. You didn’t tell me you were coming,” Ava said quickly, her voice forced into calm. She was relieved, at least, that her tears were no longer fresh on her face.
“Okay, Charlotte, I’ll be going now,” Cole announced abruptly. Without waiting
