Chapter 11

At the hotel, Jonah tossed and turned all night, trapped in a loop of nightmares. In the dream, Kayla was lost. He searched everywhere but couldn't find her. After snapping out of his despair, Jonah jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat. But even though he was no longer dreaming, the nightmare wasn't over. He sat up in bed and lit a cigarette. Pale morning light filtered through the gap in the curtains, blending with the drifting cigarette smoke. The whole room felt heavy, bleak, and suffocating. He leaned back against the headboard while his mind raced, trying to understand how everything had gone so wrong. Where did it all begin? … Eight years ago, Sally took Lily and moved overseas. He'd grown up with Lily, and her leaving had crushed him. He'd even begged her to stay. But Lily was completely enamored with life in Ostia. Everything outside seemed exciting to her. That time in his life was rough. He spiraled for a while, until Kayla showed up. She was a transfer student. S