Lyra put down her phone. The person on the other end had been even more worked up she was, which somehow helped her calm down.


    While they waited for Raven to arrive, Tess peeked through the peephole.


    Finn and Zane were still standing there, straight–backed and motionless.


    She blinked, then turned away.


    “What’s going on out there?”


    A sleepy voice suddenly came from behind them.


    than


    L appeared, rubbing his eyes, his face showing that half–dazed look of someone who’d just been dragged out of bed.


    Lyra twitched her lips, looking oddlyposed now.


    <i>Is </i><i>he </i><i>seriously </i><i>still </i><i>here </i><i>after </i><i>all </i><i>these </i><i>days</i>?


    She turned to Tess, who gave her a helpless shrug.


    Catching the quiet exchange between them, L suddenly perked up.


    “Hey, you two aren’t talking about me, are you?”


    He squinted yfully and leaned closer.


    Over the past few days, Lyra hade to realize that the ssy, elegant image she’d built of him in her mind didn’t match reality at all. He was just an ordinary, easygoing guy—and she’d gotten used to his little antics.


    “Of course not,” she replied.


    L didn’t buy it. He circled them suspiciously<i>, </i>his eyes narrowing at Lyra like a curious fox sniffing around.


    “Really, we’re not,” she repeated.


    He finally let Lyra off the hook, though he still looked half convinced.


    “So, what’s going on outside?” he finally asked, remembering why he’de downstairs in the


    first ce.


    Tess pointed toward the window. “My ex–husband’s outside trying to ‘make things right.”


    “Ex–husband?!”


    L’s eyes went wide as saucers. He stared at Tess in disbelief.


    “What ex–husband? You were married?!”


    He grabbed the sleeve of her sweater, refusing to let go until she exined.


    Tess looked at his shocked face and suddenly realized she’d never actually told him who Finn


    was.


    “I was married,” she said evenly. “We got divorced not long ago.”


    “And she has La too,” Lyra added casually.


    L froze like he’d just been struck by lightning, even staggering a little.


    He’d always thought La was the result of some long–ago rtionship–maybe an ident from Tess’s youth. He’d never met her husband, so the idea of a recent divorce hit him hard.


    Lyra nced at L’s stunned, heartbroken expression, then looked helplessly at Tess for help.


    But Tess’s face stayed calm, untouched.


    She didn’t really know what kind of role she yed in L’s life, but she wasn’t na?ve either. She’d seen the look in his eyes–the quiet feelings he tried to hide.


    And those were exactly the kind of feelings that needed to be cut off clean.


    “What about me then?”


    L’s voice broke the silence.


    Tess frowned, her eyes narrowing at him.


    <i>What </i>about <i>him</i><i>? </i><i>What </i>does <i>he </i><i>have </i><i>to </i><i>do </i>with <i>this</i><i>? </i>


    Their eyes met, and something flickered in his expression. The meaning of his own words hit him a second toote.


    <i>What </i><i>about </i><i>me</i><i>? </i>


    His lips pressed tightly together, and it was like all the life had been drained from him. The spark in his eyes dimmed, and without another word, he turned and went upstairs.


    Lyra watched his back disappear up the staircase, her brows knitting together.


    “What was that? I thought you two barely knew each other–well, aside from when you were kids.”


    Tess frowned slightly too. She looked toward the empty stairway, then sighed.


    “I don’t know.”


    Truth was, ever since she’d met L, she’d felt something strange in the way he looked at her. It wasn’t the look of someone meeting for the first time.


    But she couldn’t exin it. She had no memory of ever knowing him before.


    Lock Group Private Hospital


    Early that morning, the Larsons went together to visit Abel in his hospital room.


    “What in the world happened to you?”


    Olivia, who’d always been fond of Abel, frowned when she saw his arm hooked up to an IV.


    Abel already looked much better than he had a few days ago.


    He waved his good hand lightly. “It just looks bad. I’m fine, really.”


    Olivia gave a thoughtful nod and sat down on the soft chair Violet pulled over for her.


    “I heard you’ve got a bit of a crush on Tess,” Olivia said, narrowing her eyes as she rubbed her chin.


    Her tone sounded casual, but the weight behind it was unmistakable.


    Abel immediately felt the air in the room drop a few degrees.


    “Uh… Mrs. Olivia, why are you suddenly asking that?” he said, scratching his head nervously.


    Olivia wasn’t about to let him dodge the question. She tapped the side table impatiently. “Out


    with it.”


    “Yes.”


    He blurted it out without even thinking.


    The word hung in the air. Both Violet and Benjamin turned toward him at the same time.


    Sara Lili


    <strong>Sara Lili</strong> is a daring romance writer who turns icyndscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of d’s breathtaking cold.