John’s POV
My life had become a f*****g nightmare.
Everywhere I looked, there were memories of Maggie and Emily. Their laughter still echoed through the cabin walls like ghosts refusing to leave. Even now, after the funeral, I kept expecting Emily to come running into the room demanding music louder, drinks stronger, and everyone dancing whether they wanted to or not.
Instead, there was silence.
Cold.
Empty.
Painful silence.
I sat alone in the living room of the cabin, staring at the dying fire while everyone else slowly drifted off to bed after the funeral gathering. Empty beer bottles littered the table, half-finished drinks forgotten beside overturned cards from some game Emily’s friends had started earlier.
The scent of smoke still clung to my clothes from the river ceremony.
