"Help me."
Alexander's grip on the door tightened. Sloane stood before him, soaked to the bone, shivering. Her damp hair clung to her cheeks, her dress plastered to her skin, outlining every trembling breath she took. But her eyes…those wide, desperate eyes pinned him in place.
For a moment, he didn't move, didn't speak. A hundred thoughts raced through his mind at once. Then, in an instant, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her inside without another word.
The door slammed shut behind them, muffling the sound of the storm outside.
"Were you in the rain?" He asked, his voice laced with something akin to concern, but Sloane was sure it couldn't be.
Sloane didn't answer. She didn't trust herself to speak.
She could still hear Ryland's voice in her head. "You were the worst mistake of my life. That child would have been the greatest mistake after you."
She squeezed her eyes shut for a second, trying to drown it out.
