MICHAEL'S POV

She slammed the door in my face.

And for a moment, I didn’t move.

I just stood there, the sound of that final click ringing in my ears like a gunshot. The air in the room was still vibrating with her presence, with her perfume, her defiance, her pain… and mine.

God.

I hadn’t realized how loud silence could be until now.

My hand was still frozen mid-air from where I’d pointed her out the door. Slowly, I let it fall back to my side. Useless. Heavy. Like the rest of ...