I can’t help staring at the blanket of clouds outside. My palms pressed against my lap. Flying should have felt exciting, but instead it only reminded me how far I was from everything I knew.
“You should try to sleep,” Mateo said after a while.
I shook my head. “I can’t.”
I pressed my hand against my stomach, not saying anything. The silence stretched between us, filled only by the steady drone of the engines.
The ride to Charleston felt endless. By the time the plane landed, night had already fallen. The property had its own landing space. There was even a service car waiting for us, and we took another five-minute drive before we reached the house.
It was surrounded by trees so tall it looked completely secluded, as if the property sat in the middle of the forest.
“Here’s my proper
