CHAPTER 25
MAUREEN
I stood in the center of my room for a long moment, fingers still curled from the tightness of my fists. I hadn’t realized I’d been clenching them until my nails left little crescents in my palm.
Everything felt tight. My skin. My breath. My bones.
I walked into the bathroom, turned the faucet until the water steamed, and stepped out of my dress without ceremony. The moment I sank into the tub, my lungs exhaled like I’d been holding my breath for days.
Silence.
The kind that only came when the world outside didn’t matter.
I leaned my head back, eyes closed, listening to the drip of the faucet and the quiet hum of the heating vent.
God, what was wrong with me?
I pressed my hand against my chest, feeling the beat of my own heart. Steady. Strong.
I wasn’t weak.
