Chapter 206

ANDREA’S POV By the time we reached home, my body ached in places I didn’t even know existed. The house wasn’t empty, but it felt quieter than I’d ever known it. Not the calm that accompanied peace. The hush after carnage. The door creaked open as we stepped inside, our group trailing behind me with the weight of what we’d just survived still pressing on our shoulders. I barely had time to register the warmth of home before Bella appeared in the hallway, her eyes rimmed red. My eyes widened. I’d almost forgotten that we’d left Bella and Natasha at home. “Bella, are you ok—” She rushed forward without a word and threw her arms around me, a small sob escaping her lips. I tightened my arms around her instinctively, one hand stroking her hair as she held on to me for dear life. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I didn’t catch him.” She shook her head fiercely against my shoulder. “No. Thank you. You exposed him; now the world knows the truth, and I know you did your best.” She pulled back slightl