I left Ryan behind and walked into my room and locked the door behind me with a bang. That feeling of safety in my own little haven was so fulfilling. But as soon as I sat down, all the memories flooded back, hitting me like a ton of bricks. The trauma I had faced was too much to bear, and I felt like I was suffocating.

My heart was racing, and I could feel the tears starting to well up in my eyes. The memories were like a never-ending loop, replaying in my mind over and over again. I tried to push them away, to distract myself, but it was...