I walked into the cafe, my heart a tight knot in my chest. The air smelled of freshly brewed coffee, but it did nothing to soothe the ache settling deep within me. I spotted Grachelle almost immediately. She sat by the window, her hands wrapped around a cup of tea, her gaze distant. She looked beautiful. She always did. But today, there was something different about her. A glow, a kind of quiet contentment that made my stomach churn with something I refused to name.
I clenched my fists, forced a neutral expression onto my face, and walked toward her. She looked up as I approached, her lips parting slightly in surprise before she schooled her features.
"Ram," she greeted, her voice careful, cautious.
I nodded and slid into the chair across from her. "I spoke to Sarah."
She stiffened sli
