Chapter 38
Jake
Daphne's message came like a bolt of lightning in the darkness. My phone buzzed on the kitchen table, a faint vibration I barely noticed as I stirred a cup of coffee I’d been nursing for over an hour. At first, I assumed it was another irrelevant notification—something from the bank or a reminder about my subscriptions. But when her name appeared on the screen, my heart skipped a beat.
I didn’t think twice before unlocking my phone. Her words filled the screen, clumsy and scattered, as if written through tears. I could picture her, face tense and eyes glassy, struggling to find the right words.
"Jake, I’m sorry for being a coward. I’m not as strong as I thought I was. I know I ruined the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’m so sorry. I don’t know how to fix so
