Time passed slowly.
Eloise glanced at her wristwatch again, her brows knitting in frustration. The ticking felt like it echoed louder in the room than it had any right to, like each second was dragging its feet, deliberately mocking her patience. She shifted slightly in her seat, the silence becoming more stifling by the minute. Ainsley sat across from her, completely still, his small eyes trained on her face with an eerie calmness.
The shrill ring of her phone startled her.
Her body tensed instinctively. She snatched the phone from the table, her thumb sliding across the screen to answer.
“Are you here yet?” she asked sharply.
From the other end, Eric’s voice came hurried, uneven, and heavy with movement. He was clearly in motion. “I can’t come,” he said, no greeting, just urgency.
