As she slipped back inside, Evan leaned against the alley wall, processing the encounter. People didn’t react like that when hiding petty mistakes. Lena was a woman trying to survive. He understood that whatever she’d endured went deeper than a rough breakup or a fired job.
She didn’t seem to be avoiding people because she’d done something wrong. She seemed to have been let down by someone she trusted. And for the first time, Evan felt a sharp, distinct anger, directed at whoever had made her this afraid of just being human and interacting with people.