A loud knock at the front door pulls Mark from his half-asleep state on the couch. He grumbles, tossing the remote onto the coffee table before dragging himself up to answer it.

When he swings open the door, the last person he expects to see is Addison Montgomery—barefoot, red-eyed, and shivering in the dim glow of the porch light.

“Addie?” His voice is rough with surprise, concern seeping in as he takes in the way her mascara is smudged beneath her eyes, the way her arms are wrapped tightly around herself like she’s barely holding it together.

She lets out a shaky breath. “Is—” A pause, like she’s reconsidering being here. Then, softer, “Is she here?”

Mark doesn’t ask any questions. He just steps aside and gestures her in, pressing a warm hand to the small of her back as she hesitantly steps over the threshold. He closes the door gently behind her.

“I’ll go wake her up.”

She nods, standing awkwardly in the dimly lit living room, her arms still wrapped around herself. Mark disappears down the hall, and you stir awake to the sound of him calling your name, his tone edged with something unfamiliar.

You blink up at him, groggy. “What?”

He sighs. “Addison’s here.”

That wakes you up fast. You sit up, rubbing at your eyes. “What? Why?”

Mark shrugs. “She’s a mess. Looks like she’s been crying for hours.” He glances toward the door. “She asked for you.”

Your heart clenches. Without another word, you throw off the blankets and push past Mark, padding into the living room.

Addison stands there, looking small despite how tall she is, how put-together she usually carries herself. But tonight, she looks different. Fragile.

She lifts her gaze, meeting yours, and her bottom lip trembles. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

Your chest tightens. You don’t hesitate. You just step forward and pull her into your arms. She lets out a shaky breath against your shoulder, and you feel the way her body sags into yours like she’s been holding herself together for too long.