KATHERINE’S POVThe quiet that followed felt strange.Not comforting. Not peaceful.Just… heavy.Alex’s arm remained around me as we sat on the couch, his presence solid and warm, like an anchor I didn’t know how to let go of. I leaned into him, my head resting against his shoulder, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing. It was one of the few things that felt real at that moment.Everything else felt uncertain.David’s words replayed in my head, over and over again, each time sounding slightly different. Sometimes sincere. Sometimes rehearsed. Sometimes dangerous.I shifted slightly, and Alex’s grip tightened just enough to let me know he felt it.“You okay?” he asked softly.I hesitated before answering. “I don’t know.”He didn’t press me, and I appreciated that more than he probably realized.The house was quiet, way too quiet. Franklin was asleep upstairs, Beth had retreated to her room, and the world outside felt distant, like it was happening to someone else.I straight
Last Updated : 2025-12-28 Read more