I steadied myself against the cold glass of the window, trying to calm my breathing. Tyler was standing there, his presence unmistakable, a face I’d tried to push to the deepest recesses of my mind.

Yet, seeing him again, my pulse quickened, heart caught between resentment and something that felt dangerously close to longing.

“Hey, Sam.” Tyler’s voice was soft, his gaze unyielding, filled with something too close, too familiar.

I drew in a breath and forced myself to respond. “Tyler,” I said, keeping my tone steady, though each syllable felt like balancing on thin glass. “What are you doing here?”

“I got an invitation. I didn’t know you’d be...