Even though the flight back to LA had been smooth, my body felt like it was carrying the weight of another world.
The moment Jason’s car pulled away, I just stood there at my door, keys in hand, staring at the knob like I was afraid of what would be on the other side.
Inside, the silence felt both familiar and foreign. My shoes echoed softly on the hardwood as I walked through the apartment, my eyes scanning every corner like it might suddenly look different.
It didn’t.
I dropped my bag in the hallway and wandered into the bathroom like muscle memory. Everything moved in slow motion. I turned on the shower and stepped under the water before I could talk myself out of it. The temperature stung my skin in the best way, a punishment and a cleanse.
The water was scalding, the kind of heat
