POV: Lina
I sat on my bed for a long time after Daniel’s message came in.
My phone was still in my hand, the screen glowing softly in the dark room. The words We need to talk. Tonight kept replaying in my head like a drumbeat I could not stop.
My chest felt tight. My breathing felt shallow. My thoughts were everywhere at once.
Downstairs, I could still hear faint voices — plates clinking in the kitchen, someone moving across the living room floor, the low hum of the television. Life was going on, but mine felt frozen in place.
I looked at the door, half-expecting someone to knock again. Clara. My mother. Ethan. Even Maya.
But no one came.
I finally stood up slowly and walked to the mirror. I barely recognized myself. My eyes were red from crying, my face pale, my shoulders slumped l
