Clara Bennett
Sunlight filtered through the big windows the next morning, soft and warm across the bed. I woke up slowly, my eyes puffy and heavy from all the crying. For a second I forgot where I was, until I felt the steady rise and fall of a chest beneath my cheek and strong arms wrapped around me.
Ryder.
He was still asleep, his face relaxed in a way I rarely saw during the day. His dark hair was messy, one arm tucked under his head while the other held me close against him like he was afraid I might disappear. I stayed perfectly still, listening to his heartbeat, letting myself have this one quiet moment before everything crashed back in.
My mom was gone.
The thought hit me again like a fresh wound. Tears stung my eyes immediately, but I blinked them back. I didn’t want to wake h
