Two weeks. That’s how long it’s been since Lily cornered me in the library doorway with murder in her eyes. Two weeks since Noah stepped between us like it was instinct. Two weeks since the air around me felt sharp and dangerous. And somehow… things have settled. Not perfectly. Not completely. But enough.
Enough that I don’t wake up every morning wondering if I’ll still be here by nightfall. Enough that the house feels less like a stranger and more like a place that remembers me when I walk in. Enough that I’ve stopped counting the days until I turn eighteen.
I’m getting into the flow of things. School. Homework. Emily’s constant chatter. Grace’s warm hugs. Liam’s terrible dad jokes. Noah’s quiet glances that feel like they see more than I say. It’s strange. Good strange. Scary strange.
