The following days were filled with a restless, nagging tension that I couldn’t shake. Every time I tried to focus on something—schoolwork, conversations with Harper, even just trying to get through the day—the thought of Adrian and the decision weighing on me would drag my mind back to him. The bond between us pulsed beneath my skin, a constant, unwanted reminder of what I was being pulled toward.
I found myself avoiding him as much as possible. At school, I kept my distance, sitting as far away as I could in class. But no matter how hard I tried, there was always that feeling of his gaze on me, of his presence just a few steps away, watching, waiting.
But the worst part was the dreams. Every night, without fail, I would close my eyes, only to find myself in the same vivid, haunting dre
