Alina’s POV
I stopped typing, my fingers frozen over the keyboard, as the sharp buzz of my phone pulled me out of my thoughts. The screen lit up—Dad. Again.
A long sigh escaped before I clicked the button to turn it off. He’d been calling non-stop ever since Mom showed up to visit. I had nothing to say to him—nothing I wanted to say—and ignoring him was easier than opening old wounds.
“How are you feeling, girlfriend?”
Naomi’s voice cut through the haze in my mind. I lifted my head, forcing a small, tired smile. Concern was written all over her face as she pulled out the chair opposite me and sat down.
“I never thought a day would come when Elias would actually show up,” she said, shaking her head. “I deadass thought he was really dead.”
“We all did,” I murmured, my voice low.
She l
