For a week, I disappeared.
Phone on Do Not Disturb, curtains drawn, mind shut away from everything, Adrian, school, mysterious texts, even myself. I told myself I needed quiet. That I couldn’t keep breathing panic every time a notification buzzed, or thinking of Adrian’s touch when I had no strength to face him.
I missed him. God, I missed him so much. But missing him was safer than being swallowed whole.
So I hid.
Until now.
Walking down the hall again felt like stepping into a world I didn’t belong to anymore. I hugged my bag to my chest and kept my head low, praying for one ordinary day.
But ordinary wasn’t in my story.
“…you promised it was taken care of,” Samantha’s voice snapped ahead of me, sharp and furious.
I froze mid-step, my head jerking up. Instinct dragged me back int
