*Aryanna*
For a second, I wasn't sure where I was. The darkness of the room pressed in, the faint outline of the furniture shadowy and surreal. My heart pounded. For a moment, I thought I was still trapped in that old nightmare—my father's fall, my mother's silent car crash. The memories clawed up from the past, vivid and unrelenting, gripping tight until the chill of the room pulled me back to reality.
I blinked and caught sight of him across from me. Darren was silent, watching me from the far side of the room. He was just staring. A shock ran through me and then a wave of embarrassment I tried to shake off. The fear lingering in my chest stubbornly flared, and I put a hand over my mouth. I wasn't that scared girl from years ago, but being in his house and him staring at me in this dar
