Stephen POV
I felt drowned in thoughts, unable to free myself from the memory of Maddie. The conversation in the park replayed in my head like a cruel echo, each word a stab. No matter how hard I tried to find a way to justify what she did, the pain was inescapable.
Lying in the dark of my room, I tossed and turned for the hundredth time. The silence seemed to mock me, forcing me to face the void Maddie had left. It was almost midnight when I heard the roar of Derek's car engine approaching.
"Of course he's only coming back now," I muttered to myself, my chest tightening as I imagined where he had been or, worse, who with.
I got out of bed on impulse; my body moved by a mixture of jealousy, anger, and something I couldn't name. I went down the stairs, my footsteps echoing through the h
