LAUREN'S POV

Holding a glass of water and a pack of ice in my hands, I walked back into the living room, my chest feeling tight from everything that had happened. The house was too painfully quiet for a place that used to be filled with Aria’s laughter. Each step I took sounded heavy, echoing faintly off the walls as if reminding me how empty the house suddenly felt.

  Tessa was sitting on the couch, looking pale and exhausted. Her hair was a little disheveled, her blouse slightly wrinkled, and a thin line of dried blood trailed down the side of her temple. I swallowed the lump in my throat...