We took the elevator down together, silence stretching between us for once. Maybe we'd reached a truce. Or maybe I was just too tired to argue anymore.
At the café near the lobby, Sylas stepped up to the counter, obnoxiously charming the barista while I hung back by the window.
The sunlight filtered through the glass, warm against my skin.
I exhaled slowly, finally feeling like I could breathe…
My phone rang. I blinked, then glanced down.
Unknown number. Not Olivia. Not anyone I recognized. Just a string of unfamiliar digits lighting up the screen like a warning.
My thumb hesitated over the screen trying to see if I could recognize it from somewhere. Then I answered.
"Hello?"
Silence.
The voice I hadn't heard in years.
The voice I thought I'd buried right alongside the parts of myself I never wanted to dig up again.
"Aria."
I stopped breathing. My heart slammed against my ribs.
