Ryan’s sobbing filled the dark bedroom.
For a moment, I could not move. I sat upright beneath the covers with one hand gripping the phone, staring at Evan’s empty side of the bed as if the untouched pillow could explain why a man I barely knew was calling me before sunrise.
“What happened?” I asked.
Ryan inhaled shakily. “Lauren, I’m sorry. I don’t know how to say this.”
My body went cold.
“Is Evan alive?”
The question came out before I could stop it.
“Yes,” Ryan said quickly. “He’s alive. He’s at Harborview.”
Harborview Medical Center.
Emergency rooms. Ambulances. Accidents.
I threw the blankets back and stood too quickly, nearly losing my balance.
“What happened to him?”
“There was a crash,” Ryan said. “After we left the bar. Evan wasn’t driving. Nick was. They were arguing, and then…”
His voice broke.
I pressed my palm against the wall.
“Ryan. Breathe. Tell me clearly.”
“He’s hurt, but the doctors said he’s stable. They asked for family. Evan kept saying your name when he came around.”
My heart clenched despite everything.
“What kind of crash?”
“A car hit the divider near the bridge. It wasn’t…” He stopped. “Lauren, there’s more. That’s why I called before anyone else could.”
I was already pulling jeans from a drawer, moving on instinct.
“What more?”
Ryan was quiet for so long I thought the call had dropped.
Then he whispered, “He wasn’t supposed to be with us tonight.”
I froze with one leg halfway into my jeans.
“What does that mean?”
“He told you it was guys’ night, didn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“It started that way,” Ryan said. “But Nick brought someone. A woman from Evan’s office.”
The room seemed to tilt.
My hand tightened around the phone.
