Chapter Fourteen : Affection Allergy

I’d retreated to my own room after the music store. I couldn’t stand being around William and Alexandra anymore—their concern was thick in the air, suffocating me. They knew something was off. I could see it in the way they looked at me, like I was going to fall apart any second. I didn’t want their comfort. I didn’t want their questions.

When I shut the door behind me, it was the first time all day I felt like I could breathe. I owed William a silent thanks—booking separate motel rooms was probably the best idea he’d ever had. The instant solitude washed over me like a tide, and with it came the inevitable crash.

Everything I’d been holding back—fear, confusion, exhaustion—hit me all at once. I wanted to scream or cry or punch the wall. My chest burned with emotion I couldn’t name. But I didn’t let it spill. I held it in until the burning passed and the lump in my throat loosened. My head was pounding and my legs were unsteady, but I didn’t fall apart. Not th