Madison’s POV
I didn’t realize how tired I was until I stopped moving. The moment the door closed behind me, the silence rushed in, thick and suffocating. My hands are still shaking from healing too much, from holding too much inside, from pretending I am fine when I am not. I leaned against the wall, sliding down until I was sitting on the floor, knees pulled to my chest.
I have held myself together for everyone else. The only place I started to find peace again, Charity, that also feels hollow now. I didn’t know who to trust, how to do it anymore.
My bond is telling me he is here. Something soft stirred inside me. A steady warmth that told me I am not alone even when I felt completely undone.
The door opened again. I didn’t need to look up to know it was Austin.
“You’re pushing your
