Rain dripped from the edge of Jaxon’s jacket, pooling at his feet. His hair clung to his forehead, and his breath came out in pale clouds under the flickering hallway light. He’d just gotten home from running an errand he couldn’t even remember now. A bottle of water? A snack? None of it mattered. What mattered was the door in front of him—*207.*
Elise’s door.
He stood there for a moment, debating whether to knock. The quiet hum of the building pressed in around him, broken only by the steady rhythm of rain outside. He imagined her inside, maybe pacing, maybe crying. The thought made his chest tighten.
He shifted on his feet, brushing a hand through his dripping hair. *Should I check on her? Or would that just make things worse?*
He took one slow breath, then another. And just as he de
