Chapter Fifty-Four
The heavy metal door of Jake’s quarters slammed shut with a deafening, final click that echoed through the empty hallway. My hands shook so violently that I could barely guide the deadbolt into place, my fingers slipping against the cold steel twice before the lock finally threw. The second the mechanism secured, the last line of defense holding my composure together completely disintegrated.
I sank against the hard door, my back sliding down the metal until my knees hit the floorboards. I buried my face in my hands, and a jagged, heavy sob ripped from my throat, cutting through the suffocating silence of the room.
It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair.
I pulled my knees tightly against my chest, tucking my head down into the dark forest-green fabric of my top. The sti
