The morning light was soft when I slipped out of bed.
Ryder was still asleep, his arm stretched across the empty space where I had been. His face looked peaceful, the lines of worry from yesterday smoothed out in sleep.
I stood there for a moment, watching him, my heart aching with love and something heavier — the secret I still carried.
The poison.
I could feel it now, a low burn under my skin, a quiet reminder that time was not on my side. But I refused to let it stop me. I was done being the girl who hid and done being the one who waited for someone else to save her.
I showered and moved quietly to the closet and chose my school uniform. I dressed carefully, wincing a little when the fabric brushed the bandage on my shoulder. When I looked in the mirror, I saw a girl who had chos
