Accepting Zane and Ava’s relationship feels like swallowing glass. It’s sharp. It cuts going down. But I force myself to do it. I have to.
Knowing that my sister and the guy I’ve loved for years are together flips my whole world upside down. I feel empty, numb, broken. But even through all the pain, I stand in front of my mirror the next morning, staring at my reflection, trying to decide who I want to be now.
It’s been three days since Ava told me the truth. Three long days of skipping family meals, pretending to be asleep when she knocks, and letting Mom’s calls go to voicemail while she shouts for me to “stop acting like a child.” My room has become both a shield and a prison. It keeps the world out, but it also traps the pain in.
I touch the skin under my eyes. It’s dark and puffy.
