The knock on the door kept ringing in my ears long after it stopped. Ryder stood frozen, his hand still on the door handle.
I sat still on the bed, my heart beating fast like it wanted to escape my chest.
“Who?” I whispered, barely able to breathe.
Then the voice came again, soft but clear, “Ryder? Tessa? It’s me.”
I blinked, trying to place the voice. Ryder’s hand slowly dropped from the door handle.
“Who is it?” I asked again, my voice shaking.
Ryder squinted through the crack in the door and then opened it just a bit.
“Duke,” Ryder said, relief mixing with concern in his voice.
Duke, Ryder's close friend stepped inside, his usual loud laugh nowhere to be seen.
He looked tired, worn out, like he’d been through hell. His face was pale, and there was a dark shadow under his eyes.
