VALENTINE
The car's engine roared to life, and Devin entered, leaving the middle seat empty, a silent acknowledgement of the tension between us. As we started our journey, a strange feeling settled in. For the first time, Devin had shielded his thoughts from me, a deliberate act of shutting me out. It was a privilege I hadn't realized I cherished until it was taken away.
I briefly lifted the block on my thoughts, hoping it would prompt him to do the same, but he remained resolute. Ignoring me, he seemed lost in his own world. Frustration bubbled within me, and I reinstated the barrier, masking my turmoil. Why was I the one grappling with this suffocating silence? It felt unjust, like being condemned to a solitary confinement of my own making.
My gaze fixed on the passing scenery, a blur
