Lila

I couldn’t hold it in anymore. The second Ryder left the room, the tears came hard and fast. I bent forward on the bed, arms wrapped around my stomach like I could keep everything inside. My shoulders shook. Quiet sobs turned into loud, broken ones. I pressed my face into the pillow to muffle the sound, but it didn’t help. The ache in my chest felt too big, too sharp, like something had cracked open and wouldn’t close.

After a while — I don’t know how long — I sat up. My eyes burned. My throat felt raw. I looked around the room. The lamp still glowed softly on...