NICHOLAS’S POV
The morning after felt unbearably still, raw, and heavy with unspoken words.
I had just barely shut my eyes when the sound broke the silence; it came softly, nearly hidden, yet strong enough to reach through my mind.
A broken sob, Ava’s sob.
Quickly I rushed out to her corridor. I went still right there in the corridor by her room door, my hand paused inches from the door knob as I wanted to open the door.
It was as if my heart was crushed in a sudden squeeze, leaving me frozen, trapped between two urges; knock and go in… or retreat quietly like a coward.
Her pain was sharp, like broken edges. I didn’t need to see her face to imagine how she must look right now.
By now, her cheeks would be streaked with tears, swollen red eyes, arms wrapped around herself as if she i
