The slam of the door was a sound I would hear for the rest of my immortal life. It wasn't just wood hitting a frame; it was the seal on my tomb—the final, irrevocable end of the only thing that had ever truly mattered.
I stood frozen in the center of the room, its echo still vibrating in the air, in my bones. Her scent was still present; if I closed my eyes, I could imagine Anika still standing here, even if she wasn't. I knew the moment I told her I had helped Soleil, she would disappear from my life.
I had hurt her friends, the ones closest to her. She could never, and I mean never, look at me with kindness again. Even if she now knew my story and my motives for doing what I have done for years, she wouldn't ever forgive me.
"f**k, I need a drink," I mumbled, but I didn't want to mo
