THE ART OF FALLING
But the ache remained, heavy and constant.
For Nora, it was the ache of exposure. She had let herself trust, let herself fall—then felt the sharp sting of judgment and scrutiny. For Jaden, it was a different ache entirely: the ache of caring, deeply, for someone who might not stay in his world long enough to be safe from the chaos.
Meanwhile, shadows from the past began creeping back into their lives. A girl named Selene rumored to have been Jaden’s first heartbreak had started showing up again. Whispers suggested she wanted him back, that she was plotting or waiting for the perfect moment to reclaim her place in his life.