Chapter 7

Jane

I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, the steam from the shower swirling around. I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at the edges of my consciousness. Nicholas Sokolov, my former classmate, the man who had once held my heart in the palm of his hand, was standing just beyond the door, his presence a palpable reminder of the past I had tried so desperately to forget.

But as I looked at my reflection, the face staring back at me was resolute, a mask of determination suppressing the tumultuous emotions churning within me. I had made up my mind; I would not let Nicholas back into my life, not after all that had transpired between us.

With a sigh, I turned away from the mirror and stepped into the warm embrace of the shower, letting the hot water wash away the cares of the day. But even as I luxuriated in the steamy confines of the bathroom, the memory of Nicholas lingered in the recesses of my mind, a ghostly presence in my head and heart.

And then, just as I was beg