Chapter 18

The night was the longest I’d ever lived through. I barely slept. I’d forced Sebastian out of the guest room hours ago, but even alone, I couldn’t rest. My body ached, but it wasn’t from exhaustion—it was from everything else. From pain, from betrayal, from emptiness. I lay curled under the blanket, but it offered no warmth. The silence screamed in my ears, louder than any argument we’d had. I stared at the ceiling, blinking back tears that refused to fall. My chest felt heavy, like something was pressing down on it. Like grief. Like mourning the death of a version of me that used to be loved. I wasn’t sure when I drifted off. Maybe for an hour. Maybe less. When I opened my eyes again, the light outside had changed. Dawn slipped in quietly, a pale gray light touching the corners of the room. It should’ve brought peace. A new day, a fresh start. But instead, it reminded me the world had moved on. Without me. Voices floated in from the hallway. Joey’s light laughter rang out first, smoot