Ryder didn’t wait for her to answer. He climbed out, rounded the hood, and opened her door. His hand wrapped firmly around hers, grounding her, pulling her into the cool night air. She didn’t protest when he led her toward the porch, their footsteps crunching over the gravel in a silence thick with unspoken words.
Inside, the warm lamplight softened the edges of the living room, but the air between them stayed charged. Ryder shut the door with a quiet click and leaned back against it as if barring her exit.
“You’ve been in my head for months, Isobel,” he said, voice low and rough. “Even when I tried to push you out, you stayed. I’ve gone to bed mad at you. Woke up missing you. And now—” His hand flexed against the doorframe, knuckles pale. “Now I’m just tired of fighting it.”
Isobel’s t
