Twenty minutes later, the apartment door flew open with so much force it banged against the wall and rattled the old hinges. Raine jumped up from the kitchen chair, heart leaping into his throat. Cole stood in the doorway, chest heaving like he’d sprinted up all three flights of stairs, eyes wide and already glistening with unshed tears. His hair was messier than usual, like he’d run his hands through it the whole drive over, and he was still wearing the faded hoodie he’d probably thrown on in a hurry.

For a second, neither of them moved. Cole just stared, taking in Raine’s face, the expensive coat draped over the...