Evie’s POV

I bit my lip as I waited for Ryder’s reply.

The message had been sitting on read for a solid three minutes, which in text-time was an eternity. I sighed, tossing my phone onto my bed.

I hadn’t heard from Elara all day.

Scratch that.

I hadn’t seen Elara since last night.

I had called her this morning, texted her, even reached out to her mom, only to get the same response—she doesn’t want to see anyone right now.

It left a sour taste in my mouth.

I didn’t like her like that, but I cared. She was my best friend. My only real friend. And she was...