Lara stepped inside the house, shutting the door softly behind her.
The silence was heavy, broken only by the faint hum of the refrigerator and the distant ticking of a clock. Dim light from the kitchen cast shadows along the walls, making the house feel emptier than it already was.
She stood still for a moment, listening.
Lucas must be asleep—or maybe he wasn’t home yet.
Right now, it didn't matter.
With a sigh, she made her way to her bedroom, not even bothering to turn on the lights. She slipped out of her heels and collapsed onto the bed, too exhausted to change out of her clothes.
Pulling her phone from her bag, she set an alarm for 5:00 AM. No matter how late she had been out drinking, she couldn’t afford to miss work. Her students depended on her.
She exhaled deeply, closing
