Sienna

The weekend dragged like time itself was punishing me.

No phone.

No iPad.

No laptop except the surveillance-controlled one in the living room—which I refused to touch unless homework threatened my life.

I moved through the house like a ghost.

Quiet.

Invisible.

Caged.

Dad barely spoke to me unless it was to remind me:

“You’re grounded. Don’t test me.”

Lena tried being soft, checking on me once or twice, but even she didn’t dare go against him.

Saturday melted into Sunday with nothing but silence…and the ache of wanting to hear from Jaxon.

I kept imagining him calling the landline again.

Texting.

Waiting.

Not knowing why I wasn’t answering....