Sophie’s POV
The minutes crawled like hours.
By the time the clock neared eleven, my room felt suffocating. Every shadow stretched long, every tick of the clock pressed against my ribs. I tried reading, I tried lying still, I even tried convincing myself that I should stay put. But Adrian’s voice, his warning, echoed again and again in my mind.
Next time… I won’t stop.
He had said it like a threat. But deep down, I knew it was more than that. It was a vow, one that made my pulse stutter in a way I hated.
And maybe that was why I couldn’t stay. Because if I did, I’d suffocate under the weight of him.
I grabbed my coat from the chair, shoving my phone into the pocket. The screen glowed faintly with the last message I’d received.
> Pier 17. Midnight.
Cole’s words looked harmless on
