I heard the question, but I pretended not to. The silence that followed was deafening. It felt like the world had stopped turning, and the only sound was my own heartbeat, pounding in my ears.

I felt like I was in a different world. I was facing the question I had been avoiding asking myself. The question James had asked had my brain working overtime, even as I tried to avoid it. I could feel my brain trying to work out an answer.

"Ivy," James said, breaking the silence and pulling me out of my thoughts.

I turned to look at him, avoiding his gaze. "What did you say?" I...