THE DEPARTURE
~SILAS'S POV~
The zipper closed shut in the quiet of the lodge, the noise seemed loud and It felt like the end.
I stood in the center of the master bedroom, staring at my packed suitcase. It was black. It worked well. It was by the door and It seemed to make fun of me.
I checked my watch. 10:00 AM.
The pilot was already prepping the jet. In two hours, Chloe and Maya would be wheels up, heading back to New York. Back to their lives and syllabus weeks.
Back to a reality where I was just a checking account and a holiday visit.
And I would stay here. I had told Chloe I had meetings in Denver—a lie that felt heavy and stupid in my mouth.
The truth was simple: I couldn't be on that plane.
I couldn't sit across from Maya for four hours. Pretending I didn't know what she
