MIA’S POV

The taxi ride home felt endless, every bump in the road jolting the disgust deeper into my bones. By the time I slipped through the front door, my skin was crawling. Max’s touch, his breath, that smug smirk as I ran away it all replayed in my head like a nightmare I couldn’t escape. I hated him. I repeated it under my breath like a mantra as I climbed the stairs. I hate him. I hate him. I hate him. The words were supposed to cleanse me, to wash away the unwanted heat still lingering between my thighs, but they only made the humiliation burn hotter.

I didn’t...