The night stretched on endlessly.
I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, watching shadows move across the cracked plaster as the streetlights outside flickered through the blinds. Nico’s soft, steady breathing filled the room from his little bed tucked against the wall. His tiny fist was curled around the ear of his stuffed elephant, his lashes resting like delicate brushstrokes on his cheeks.
He was so peaceful. So innocent.
And I was anything but.
Chris’s words haunted me like a song I couldn’t turn off. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard him—I can’t live like this anymore… Just think about it. For you. For Nico.
I turned onto my side, pressing my face into the pillow, but it didn’t help. The truth slithered through me like smoke: I wanted what he was offering. Not just him, tho
