I walked past them without a word, heading toward the dining room. Their silence trailed behind me—too loud, too heavy, like static crawling across my skin. They were mind-linking; I could see it in the way their eyes flicked, in the rigid tension coiled through their bodies. It should sting, being shut out of their private conversations. Now? I didn’t even have the energy to care.
They always found excuses to touch me. A palm at my lower back. Fingers brushing down my arm. Pulling me in like gravity tilted toward them.
Not this morning.
Not a single one reached for me.
Yeah. They were still upset. Probably confused. And honestly? So was I.
I wasn’t sorry for standing up for myself—but maybe the way I’d said it, sharp enough to cut bone, had sliced deeper than I intended. These four d
