The moment the car rolled past the last signpost of Mystic Falls, something inside me felt relieved.
It felt strange.
Like I was finally leaving a life I never fully lived. Like I was walking away from a cage I didn’t realize I was trapped in.
I pressed my palm against the cold window and watched the houses fade into nothing.
Mystic Falls was behind me now.
A final riddance to a family who never loved me or wanted me in the first place.
I should feel guilty. I should feel scared. Unsure of what my father might do to me.
But all I felt was a soft hum in my chest — a pull toward Sienna.
Sienna sat beside me, staring straight ahead. Her jaw was tight, and she kept tapping her fingers on her lap.
I could tell that she was anxious.
She didn’t look at me. But I knew she felt ever
