Chapter 19

There was a flicker in Caleb's eyes. Dylan continued, "She's like a ball of fire—blazing fiercely and brightly. Back then, the fire revolved around you, so you might have felt she was too hot, too overwhelming. But now… that fire is gone, leaving you cold and in the dark. The silence is so heavy it induces panic." A soft thunk sounded as Caleb unconsciously tapped the car window. He abruptly turned his head, staring out at the bustling city. Though alive with movement, there was no warmth in this jungle of concrete and steel. Dylan's words struck his heart like heavy weights. In that instant, the bubble of denial he had built around himself finally burst. He could no longer lie to himself. The woman he once dismissed as a nuisance and a responsibility had long since clawed her way into his rigid, meticulous life. Somewhere along the way, she had carved out a bright, warm space that no one else could replace. That space was filled with her laughter, her tantrums, her tears, her li