DANTE’S POV
"What are you doing out here alone at this time of the night?" I asked, taking another step forward.
She moved fast. Almost too fast. Her hand swiped at her face like she could erase the evidence of what I had already seen, and then she stood up and glared at me, like I was responsible for the problems of the world's population.
“What are you doing here?” Her voice cut through the silence, hard and defensive.
Inside, Ryker shoved against my walls. "Go to her, Dante. Comfort her. She’s hurting."
I clenched my jaw, digging my heels into the dirt, holding him back. He didn’t get to decide. Not tonight. Not ever.
I kept my focus on Aria as I spoke.
“Is that really how you normally greet people,” I muttered, my tone clipped, “or is it just me?”
The words came out sharper th
