ARIA
The walk back to the office with Caleb was quiet but easy.
The sun had shifted behind thin clouds, softening the heat. I thanked him for the food with a genuine smile—one of the few real ones I’d had in days.
“You’re welcome,” he said. “Anytime. You look less haunted now. Slightly.”
“Slightly’s better than nothing,” I muttered.
He winked and waltz off toward his department while I turned for mine, sipping the last of my soda. The lightness in my chest started to fade as soon as I walked back in.
I sat at my desk and reached for my phone—And froze. Three missed calls. All from Knox. My chest tightened instantly, like a rope pulling inward. The screen glared up at me with his name stamped in bold, silent letters. Three missed calls.
Why would he call me? My throat dried up. He’d
