Gabriella's Pov
The drive was almost too quiet. The kind of silence that presses down on you, heavy and unwelcome. I sat in the front seat, my head against the cool glass of the window, pretending to sleep so I wouldn’t have to speak. Stephanie’s voice floated in and out of my thoughts, too bright, too cheerful. She and Alessio were talking about some event from last year, laughing like they didn’t notice the tension twisting in my chest.
I didn’t want to be here. Or maybe I did. I wasn’t sure anymore. All I knew was, with each mile we got closer to the beach house, my heartbeat quickened—not from excitement, but from something else. Something I couldn’t yet name.
About thirty minutes later, the car slowed. I must have drifted off, because when I opened my eyes, Stephanie’s face was un
