Sam's P.O.V.
The hum of overhead lights and the soft shuffle of feet on the tile floor surrounds me as my mom pulls me from store to store, eagerly ticking off items for the house. I feel the weight of the day settling on me—the suffocating silence between me, Jax, and his father back at the house. The air there had been thick with tension, and now, it follows me wherever I go.
My mom is chatting nonstop, her voice light and excited, totally oblivious to the storm brewing in my mind. She’s still riding high from the excitement of the move, thrilled that the house is finally coming together. To her, this is a fresh start—new furniture, new house, a new beginning. To me, it feels more like an endless countdown to something I’m not ready for.
The decision to skip school today was hers. “A
