Ivy's POV
I jolt up in bed like I’ve been yanked out of the deepest pit in hell. Gasping. Sweaty. Shaking like a leaf in a storm.
The nightmare’s claws are still raking down my spine, the sound of her voice echoing in my skull—my mother, shrieking in that venom-laced tone only she could master.
“You ruined everything.”
I press my trembling hands to my face, trying to breathe, but it’s like there’s a boulder sitting on my chest. My heart pounds, thudding like a war drum inside my ribs, each beat louder than the last.
I know it’s not real. I know she’s not here. But damn it, it feels real.
Like she’s standing at the foot of my bed, judging me.
“I’m fine,” I whisper to the darkness, lying straight through my teeth.
I throw the covers off and climb out of bed barefoot, my feet hittin
