I woke up the next morning feeling just as heavy as the night before, like there was a stone lodged in my chest that no amount of sleep could dislodge. The light streaming through the window was warm and inviting, but it only served to highlight the distance between where I was and where I wanted to be—where I needed to be. With Ryder.
I lay in bed for a while, staring blankly at the ceiling, tuning out the sounds of Justin and Lucian talking in the living room. My stomach growled, but I didn’t have the energy or desire to eat. I wasn’t sure I even had the energy to engage with the world today. What was the point? Every second I spent here felt like time wasted. Time away from Ryder.
Eventually, I dragged myself out of bed, throwing on a loose shirt and shorts. I padded out into the main
