Mia stood still under the rain, water running down her face and mixing with the sweat at her temples. Cade's gaze stayed on her, steady and unreadable, and for a moment it felt like he could see straight through her, past every lie she had told.
Her throat tightened as she tried to speak. "I… I can explain…"
Before she could finish, he stepped closer and closed the distance between them. His hand settled at her waist and pulled her gently against him.
Mia froze, her fingers curling at her sides while her breath turned uneven as his presence filled the space around her. She had braced herself for anger, for questions, for that sharp disappointment she wouldn't be able to take, but it never came.
Instead, he held her.
