The motel rooms were dim after the war was over, the only light coming from the flickering neon sign outside. Shadows danced across the walls, stretching long and sharp, but Amelia wasn’t afraid of them. Not anymore.
She was afraid of what was happening inside her.
She stood by the window, arms wrapped around herself, watching the rain smear against the glass. The world outside felt distant, unreal, like it belonged to someone else. Not to her. Not after what had happened.
Not after Lillian’s betrayal.
Not after Adrian’s return.
A storm was coming, and she was in the center of it.
She heard Dominic move behind her, the creak of the old mattress as he shifted. His presence was a constant, grounding her, but it also unraveled her in ways she wasn’t prepared for.
“You’ve been quiet,” h
