Madelyn
It was the fourth day in Dominic’s remote vacation house, the silence had become something I couldn’t escape. It was everywhere. The lake barely made any sound, and the forest around the house had this strange peacefulness that should’ve calmed me, but instead it made my thoughts louder.
I checked my phone again as I walked from the bedroom to the kitchen. Nothing from Dominic. Not even a good morning. Not even one of those plain text responses he’d been giving lately. The last thing he sent was a short “rest well,” and that was last night. I stared at the screen a moment longer before turning it face down on the counter.
It wasn’t like him. He always checked in, even when he was too busy to breathe. He always called, even if it was for one minute. Now it was like he was holding
