CATHERINE’S POV:
The dim light drapes itself lazily over my bedroom, casting long shadows that dance across the walls. I sit on the edge of my bed, my fingers wrapped tightly around Elijah's phone, my own phone nestled securely in my pocket. The weight of uncertainty presses heavily upon my chest as I wait, the minutes ticking by with agonizing slowness.
Outside, the sky is beginning to surrender to the embrace of night, the last vestiges of daylight fading into a soft indigo. I glance at the clock on my bedside table, but its numbers seem to mock me, offering no solace in their relentless march forward.
I’ve been trying to reach Layla, Elijah’s phone buzzing with unanswered calls and unanswered prayers. Doubt begins to gnaw at the edges of my resolve, whispering insidious lies that mak
