Lumi’s POV
I don’t realize I’ve stopped breathing until Clover touches my arm.
“Lumi…” Her voice feels far away, muted ven.
My eyes are still on my phone, on Caius’s profile picture of us that was now changed into a random plant photo. I lock the screen slowly, my chest pounding.
“Say something,” Clover says.
I exhale, but it doesn’t steady anything.
“I’m fine,” I say.
I’m not.
The car keeps moving. But everything inside me feels… stuck. A few seconds pass, heavy ones. Clover shifts beside me, restless now. Thinking.
“Okay… I wasn’t going to say this now but—”
I glance at her briefly. “What?”
She hesitates, which she never does. And that alone makes my grip tighten on the steering wheel.
“Lumi…”
“Clover.” My voice is sharper than I intended. “Just say it.”
She exhales, th
