The door slammed behind her with more force than she’d intended, but Alessia didn’t pause. She moved forward, her footsteps carrying her past the bed, the windows, and every corner of the room until she reached a place where nowhere else remained to go. Then she stopped abruptly. Her breath came in quick, shallow bursts too fast, too tight against her chest. The words reverberated in her mind, sharp and accusing: “You are the reason she’s dead.” They echoed again and again, relentless. She whispered back, shaking her head as if to dispel a nightmare. “No that can’t be true.” It felt impossible. She would remember something like that, wouldn’t she?
Her hands came up, pressing firmly to her temples as she paced in small circles, trying to steady herself. Think. Just think. The name floated
