Archie’s POV
By Friday evening, the tension inside the house was thick enough to choke on.
I was standing by the tall living room windows pretending to read a prospectus, but my eyes kept darting toward the foyer. Lincoln had taken another evening off. He had finished helping Ethan and Evan with their school projects early, left a casserole warm in the oven, and gone upstairs to change.
When he came down, he wore a simple charcoal crewneck sweater that hugged his shoulders, fitted black jeans, and clean boots. He looked effortlessly handsome. It made a bitter, hollow ache flare directly behind my ribs.
The heavy chime of the front doorbell echoed through the quiet house.
Before Lincoln could reach the door, I was already moving. I crossed the marble foyer in long, measured strides and
