The ride home was quiet.
Chloe sat by the car window, watching the streets pass by in a blur of lights and movement. Normally, she would have talked to Oscar or Ria, laughed at something silly, or even argued with Starry about something small. But tonight, she just wanted to be left alone.
Evelyn’s words kept replaying in her mind.
"Starry needs someone from our world."
"Love isn’t always enough."
She clenched her fists on her lap, willing herself not to feel anything.
She had known from the beginning that she wasn’t what Starry’s family wanted for him. But hearing it from his mother so directly, so calmly, made it all feel more real than ever.
Starry, sitting beside her in the car, glanced at her a few times. She could feel his eyes on her, but she refused to look at him.
After a
