SKY
The cool night air clung to me as I sat alone on the rooftop, trying to shake off the hurt gnawing at me. Noah’s words echoed in my mind, harsher with each replay. He’d brushed me off as if I didn’t matter—like I was an inconvenience. I clenched my fists, frustrated by how easily he’d managed to make me feel small.
I hated feeling like this. Emotions weren’t supposed to control me; I was supposed to be strong, like my father, who always seemed to handle everything with calm precision. I could practically hear my mother’s gentle voice telling me to find balance, to accept the softer sides of myself she’d always tried to nurture. But she was gone, and every bit of gentleness had been swept aside the day I decided I’d forge my own path.
The ache in my chest deepened, and I tipped my
