Aubrey's POV

　　When the door shut behind Matt, I felt the room exhale, but the pressure didn't leave. It just shifted. Heavy and unspoken, and now it sat squarely on my shoulders.

　　I turned my eyes toward Joseph, only for a second. That was all it took. The look on his face gutted me.

　　God.

　　I don't know what expression I expected, but not that. Not that silent devastation beneath all that tension. His jaw was still clenched, his arms ...