Twenty-Nine

Dani:

The soft glow of the moonlight spilled through my bedroom curtains, casting long shadows across the floor.

I sat on the edge of the bed, the weight of everything pulling at me like an anchor. I could hear Ryan's muffled voice in the living room; his words were faint through the closed door, but his concern was unmistakable. Julian's voice followed, quieter and more pointed—he seemed to always know when something was off.

But I couldn't talk to them. Not yet. Not about the gnawing feeling I had when I saw Felicia with Ryan. Not about the way my world felt like it was slipping, twisting, becoming something unrecognizable.

The sound of the door creaking open jolted me out of my thoughts.

"Dani?"

It was Julian.

I didn't turn to face him, but I ……