Rose's POV

The room felt too small, too suffocating. I paced back and forth, the rhythm of my steps doing nothing to soothe the chaos in my mind. The ticking of the clock on my desk seemed louder than usual, its sharp ticks matching the pounding of my heart. Just as I was about to circle around for the hundredth time, the door creaked open, and Finn stepped inside, his presence filling the room with an air of quiet intensity.

"Rose?" His voice was gentle but probing. "What's wrong?"

I turned to face him, forcing a smile that felt more like a grimace. "It's nothing."

Finn’s eyebrows shot up, and...