The sound of the lock sliding into place behind Vivian’s bedroom door echoed in my ears long after it happened. I stood outside her door, my forehead pressed against the smooth wood, every instinct in my body screaming at me to break it down. To go to her, hold her, tell her it would all be okay.
But I knew Vivian.
She wasn’t someone you chased when she needed space. She wasn’t someone you could push without consequences. She’d locked herself away not because she wanted me to force my way in, but because she needed to gather her own strength first. And as much as it tore me apart, I had to respect that.
I turned away, the sharp ache in my chest almost unbearable. My hands clenched into fists at my sides as I forced myself to leave. The cool air outside hit me like a slap when I stepp
