Chapter 28
Jake
The clock read 2 a.m., and I was still awake. I sat on Daphne's couch with her curled up against my chest, breathing deeply as she tried to calm herself. Her tears had left damp marks on my shirt, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was her—her fragility in this moment and the way she clung to me like I was her only lifeline.
I ran my fingers through her hair, moving slowly, the way I’d learned she liked. Her breathing had steadied, but every so often, she let out a muffled sob, as if still trying to contain the pain eating away at her.
Her words replayed in my mind with striking clarity—the honesty with which she had shared her fears, the way she had opened up and told me exactly how she felt about all of this.
“Jake…” she murmured, her voice broken, barely audible.
