## KAYLA'S POV

The next morning, I woke up far later than usual. It was probably the best sleep I had experienced in weeks. The mattress was soft, the room was quiet, and for the first time since my world fell apart, I felt safe.

My stepmother and Adire had thrown me out thinking I would break—that I’d end up crawling back to their doorstep, begging for a place to stay. Instead, I was lying under a warm duvet in a secure room.

The loud chime of the door bell cut through the quiet.

"I'm... coming," I rasped, rubbing my eyes.

A dull headache throbbed behind my temples from the...