Ava

I settled into bed, my eyelids heavy with exhaustion, but as I lay there, my gaze drifted to my phone after hearing it chime. When I checked, I saw a message from Patrick. I frowned in confusion—hadn’t we already broken up? What could he possibly want now?

I felt irritation simmer beneath my skin as I ignored the message, setting my phone aside with a deliberate motion. But then it chimed again, breaking the silence. My frustration deepened as I grabbed the phone, my eyes scanning the screen.

"Answer me," Patrick’s words taunted me, so different from the sweet things he used to say. My thumb hovered over the...