The truth didn't just hurt, it was a physical sickness.
I was curled up by the cold edge of the lake, my face hidden in my knees. The sound of the rushing water was supposed to be calming, but everything felt loud.
Astor is never going to change.
That simple thought finally sank into my heart, sharp and heavy like a stone. I've spent the last couple of days making excuses, covering for him, believing that my love was enough to fix the broken parts of our relationship. But my love had only helped him break me instead.
I was shaking, not from the cold, but from the realization that I had wasted my whole life. I wanted to scream until my throat tore, but I just kept making these harsh, broken noises. I felt myself losing control, flying out of my own body.
Just as I thought I was going c
