Chapter Sixty-Two
The pale morning light filled the bedroom, throwing long, cold shadows across the empty mattress. I sat up slowly, my body aching from the hours I had spent lying awake on top of the covers. My eyes felt burning and heavy, blurred from a lack of sleep and the quiet tears that had dried on my face in the dark. I looked at the pillow next to mine. It was smooth, cold, and untouched. Jake had not slept there.
A heavy, hollow weight settled deep in my stomach. The silence of the room felt like a physical pressure, mocking the bright hope I had felt just twenty-four hours ago when we were planning our day together.
I dragged my feet to the floor, my boots heavy against the wood as I walked to the window. Down in the courtyard, the gray fog was gone, but the air looked crisp
