Ethan couldn’t stay away any longer.
The email from Mia had been burning in his mind all morning. She was trapped, fighting alone, and he was the reason. After rereading her words for the tenth time, he made a decision.
He would go to the house. Not to cause a scene — just to see her face, even for a second, and maybe find a way to talk. The risk was insane, but the alternative — sitting at home doing nothing — was worse.
He changed into a clean shirt, pulled the hood of his jacket up to hide the worst of the bruising on his jaw, and drove over. His heart pounded harder with every block. When he pulled up in front of the familiar house, he sat in the truck for a long minute, staring at the front door. Then he got out and knocked.
Mia’s mother answered, her face lighting up with surpri
