The door was knocked on quietly, which made me raise an eyebrow. At this hour? It was just shy of ten, and I wasn't expecting anyone.
I got up and walked to the door, leaning in to look through the peephole.
Eleanor.
And she looked worse than yesterday.
There was a dark bruise forming around her left eye, swollen and ugly, like someone had hit her hard. My stomach tightened immediately.
I unlocked the door and opened it.
She looked up at me for a second, then her gaze dropped. Her lips trembled, and before she could say anything, she broke down. She stepped forward and collapsed against me, crying.
I wrapped my arms around her without thinking, holding her steady as her shoulders shook. Her tears soaked into my shirt while her quiet sobs filled the hallway.
"Eleanor?" I asked, keeping my voice low.
"Evan…" she choked out. "Oh god… Evan…"
