You had not seen Tyler since the night at Nevermore when everything fell apart. Your last memory of him was the look in his eyes before they took him away to Willow Hill. Months passed with nothing but rumors. You told yourself you had moved on.

The night is quiet until it isn’t. A faint scrape at the back door pulls you from sleep, your chest tightening with a feeling you have not felt since before his arrest.

When you step into the kitchen, he is already there. Tyler stands in the shadows, steam from the cold night air curling off his bare skin. He wears only grey pants, his chest and arms mapped with scars from restraints and fights. The faint metal collar around his neck glints in the light, a reminder of what they did to keep him under control. His breathing is steady, almost calm, but his eyes are fixed on you like you are the only thing he came back for.

“You missed me?” he asks, voice low and edged with something dangerous.