Chapter Twenty seven: Fractures
The hallway still echoed with the aftermath of the charity gala. Laughter lingered in the corners, fading slowly as students drifted home, their excitement dissolving into the quiet of the night. But for Nora, the air felt thick—too heavy to breathe properly. She stood near the staircase outside the auditorium, her fingers gripping the railing as if it were the only thing holding her upright. She had seen it. Eli. Dinah. Not just standing close. Not just talking. Laughing. Leaning in. Dinah’s hand resting lightly on his chest like she belonged there. And what hurt the most wasn’t that he looked uncomfortable. It was that he looked calm. Maybe even happy. Across the hall, Liam was still speaking to one of the teachers, unaware of the storm forming inside his girlfriend. “Nora?”
- Writer
