Sadie’s POV
The forest is quiet in the early morning, hushed and still as though the world itself hasn’t woken yet. Mist lingers low between the trees, curling like silver smoke, and the damp earth softens each step I take.
I didn’t mean to end up here. I’d woken up to find the space beside me empty, Alec already gone. For a moment, I’d simply lain there, staring at the imprint he’d left in the sheets, his warmth fading against my skin. And for a second, I almost thought of going to his bedroom, but I put a stop to those thoughts immediately.
Aspen was still fast asleep, peaceful as ever, and I knew there was no chance of me falling back under. My mind was too full, too wracked as my thoughts spun out of control.
It’s like no matter what I did, I couldn’t catch a break. Every time I th
