~TESSA~
The house was quiet when we walked in.
Too quiet.
Ryder’s hand never left the small of my back as he guided me through the entryway, past the grand staircase, through the halls.
I felt the tension in him...
And I... I didn't know what to say or how to feel.
I was... dumfounded. I had a lot going on in my mind.
A lot.
I needed answers... right away!
We didn’t stop in the kitchen.
We didn’t stop in the living room.
We went straight to the room.
He shut the door behind us with a quiet click.
I stood in the middle of the space, staring at the rug under my boots, arms crossed tight over my chest.
Then I turned to him.
“Sit,” I said.
He raised an eyebrow, still gripping the handle of the door. “You okay?”
“Ryder,” I said, “I want the truth. All of it. Now.”
He hesitate
