ARIA'S POV
The silence between us wasn’t just heavy it was sharp. Like glass between our bodies, separating skin from skin. Words hovered in the air, unspoken and jagged, waiting to cut whoever dared first.
I didn’t speak to Julian that morning.
He didn’t speak to me either.
His cologne still lingered in the hallway, that cold cedar-and-mint mix I once found comfort in. Now it felt like static in my lungs.
I passed him in the corridor outside the dining room. Our eyes met for a second. Just one. But instead of a greeting, he gave me a curt nod and kept walking.
No “Sunshine.”
No teasing smirk.
Not even a glance back.
Good.
He could keep his silence.
I had mine too.
***
Lucy was already in the kitchen when I wandered in hair tied up in her usual bun, sleeves rolled up,
