Third person POV
Lance stood outside Isla’s door longer than he meant to.
It was an unfamiliar hesitation, one that sat wrong in his chest. He was used to action—decisions made quickly, words spoken plainly, problems confronted head-on. Pacing corridors and second-guessing himself was not his style.
But Nolan’s words echoed anyway.
Be steady. Be patient. Listen.
It felt a little bit like asking a fire not to be hot. Lance had always been reckless. He was a racer, after all. You didn’t get behind the wheel of a car intending to push it as fast as possible just for the thrill if you were a cautious person.
But for Isla, he had to try. She made him feel things he’d never felt before, made him want to be different for her. More cautious. More gentle.
He lifted his hand and knocked.
T
