Elena
I fumble with my keys, close the door behind me, and lean against it, trying to breathe. The house was quiet. Too quiet, as if the air itself was holding its breath.
The dinner went well, but I still couldn't stop shaking. The encounter with Julian, Grayson’s kiss, the chaos of it all still clinging to my skin like smoke.
My heels clicked against the floor as I made my way to Sophie's room. She was already fast asleep, her tiny hand curled around her stuffed teddy.
For a moment, everything softens: the noise, the guilt, the ache in my chest.
“I'm sorry baby,” I whispered. “I'm so sorry.”
Because I could feel it, everything I buried in the past, clawing its way back.
Grayson. Julian. The pain I've lived with. The life I built was slowly starting to c***k. And I'm terrified I
