Evie had just stepped out of the bathroom upstairs when she heard the unmistakable sound of the front door unlocking, followed by slow, uneven footsteps. For a heartbeat, her breath caught. She crossed to the railing just in time to glimpse a familiar silhouette limping into the foyer below and sighed in relief.
Tommy was home already. Maybe she had missed the sound of his car pulling up.
She descended the staircase quickly, her bare feet light but her pulse racing. By the time she reached the final step, he had already shrugged off his jacket, revealing a blood-stained shirt and a bandage slapped across his nose.
"You really weren't exaggerating," she said quietly, taking in his pale complexion and glassy eyes.
Tommy glanced up, managing a crooked half-smile that barely held. "I got rear-ended so hard I practically kissed the dash. And I would say you should see the other guy, but he did a runner on me."
