Madelyn
I stayed where I was, even when my legs started to feel weak, even when my fingers curled into my palms so hard my nails dug into my skin. My face felt strange, like all the blood had quietly slipped away without asking permission. I did not need a mirror to know I looked pale. I could feel it the way my head buzzed and my ears rang softly, like a warning I was trying very hard to ignore.
Dominic’s voice carried through the living room, low and controlled, the way it always got when he was trying to keep a situation from exploding. Leana’s voice was louder, sharper, cutting through his words without effort. I stood there for a moment, then took a step back, then another, until my back met the kitchen counter. I did not plan to hide, it just happened, my body moving on instinct be
