***Ella***
I return to my room and head straight for a long, hot shower. What had just happened in Austin’s room wasn’t something I had expected when I went there, but it had been… significant. I needed a moment to process it. This new chapter of my life was unfolding fast, and it was both exhilarating and intense.
When I emerge from the bathroom, Freya has returned, lounging on her bed with her laptop open, watching a cheesy romcom.
"Hmm. Thanks so much for leaving AB to grill me earlier," she says, flashing me a sarcastic smile.
"You didn’t have to tell her anything," I remind her with a laugh, massaging hair oil into my damp hair.
"True," she snorts, "but you know what she's like. She's like a truffle hunter for details."
"Exactly. That’s why I bailed as soon as possible—I didn’t
