Rose pov
The apartment was eerily quiet, except for the occasional groan of the old pipes and the faint rustle of snowflakes tapping against the window. I sat on the couch, staring blankly at my phone, its screen dim after the last message I had sent to Jack: “Don’t come back.”
The words felt hollow now. Did I even believe them? My chest ached with a mix of regret and dread. Ellie was in the next room, but her voice, her question from earlier, haunted me: “If he’s my dad, why can’t he stay with us?”
I wanted to protect her, to shield her from the chaos Jack brought with him, but how could I? Jack wasn’t going anywhere, and I wasn’t sure I even wanted him to anymore.
My phone buzzed on the table, its harsh vibration slicing through the stillness. It was Jack again.
“Rose. I’m not leavi
