By the time the bottle was almost empty, Sylvie could no longer tell how long she had been sitting there.
The bar felt hazy now. The low music blended into the murmurs of conversations around her, and the lights overhead seemed warmer and more blurry. Her head felt light, floating, but her head felt heavy.
She poured another drink anyway.
The alcohol wasn’t helping. Not really. If anything, it made everything louder inside her head. Every worry, every fear, every emotion she had been suppressing all week rose to the surface.
Her parents’ voices echoed in her mind.
Zade’s face followed shortly after. The confident smile. The way he looked at her like she was something already owned. The way he moved through the world without fear and apology.
And then there was Ryan. That thought alon
