The car ride was silent.

The kind that made your hands shake. The nervousness. The moment were you are unsure if you should say something or keep quiet. It made me fidget.

Elara sat in the back, staring out the window, her face completely unreadable. She didn’t move. Didn’t speak.

Ryder just kept driving, his grip tight on the wheel, his jaw tense.

I wanted to say something—anything—but what was there to say?

What the fuck could I say after what just happened?

Elara had been humiliated ...