Evangeline simply nodded. It was a single, curt movement of her chin—less an acknowledgment of Noah himself and more a submission to the reality of the situation.
She began heading toward her room at the end of the short hallway, her gaze fixed on the floor a few feet ahead of her, as if the effort of keeping her head up was suddenly too much to ask.
Noah stood exactly where he was, watching her retreat.
A sharp, ragged sigh escaped his lips, the sound cutting through the quiet house like a blunt blade. He stared at her back, his throat tightening so quickly it felt physical.
His mouth opened, a single syllable forming behind his teeth, but no sound came out. The air left him, leaving his lips parted in a silent, desperate shape.
He closed it, his jaw clenching as he fought down the rising heat in his chest, only for his mouth to open again a second later.
