"Yes."
"Louder."
"YES."
Cara reached for my hand, squeezing it gently. “You’re stronger than this.”
I smiled weakly, but the edges of it cracked. “I just want this night to be over.”
It was. Eventually.
The party began to thin as the musicians grew quieter, and candles burned lower. Rhys and Rafael stood with their parents near the dais, offering final bows and smiles, their shoulders square and regal.
I watched from a distance, half-hidden behind a column.
Thelma leaned in and pressed a kiss to Rhys’s cheek. He didn’t flinch, but he also didn’t look at her. Still, my stomach knotted so tightly I nearly folded in half.
Alena stepped closer to Rafe, her smile glowing, effortless. He gave her a polite nod, but his eyes kept flicking around, as if searching for someone else. Searchi
