Rose tossed and turned in bed, the sheets tangled around her like a trap. Her thoughts wouldn't let her rest. Christian’s words, soft yet firm, echoed in her mind.
You don’t have to deal with whatever this is alone.
But she was alone. She always had been. The thought of letting someone else in, especially him, filled her with a strange mixture of fear and longing. Could she trust him with the pieces of her life she had kept hidden for so long?
She sighed, turning onto her side, her eyes tracing the dim lines of light filtering through her window. Maybe it was exhaustion, or perhaps it was something deeper, but for the first time in a long time, she wished things could be different. That she could trust someone again. That she could let go of the walls she had built around herself.
But
