Elena’s POV

Why did the sound of his name make my father and brother look as if I had spoken something forbidden?

I turned onto my good side and stared at the faint line of light under the door. The questions burned, but I did not get up. I did not walk down the hall to demand answers. I needed to recover first. I needed the strength to ask properly, and the strength to refuse whatever silence they offered next.

For tonight, I would let the questions wait.

I closed my eyes and tried to remember only the part that still felt like safety: a boy’s arms around me in...