Chapter 1:

Morning Tension

I woke up feeling exhausted, the kind of tired that settles deep in your bones after weeks of family stress. My adopted parents’ constant arguments, the pressure of university, and the confusing feelings I had been harboring for months all weighed heavily on me. I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, my long dark hair splayed across the pillow. “Another day in this house,” I muttered to myself. “How much longer can I keep pretending everything is normal?”

The door to my room creaked open softly. James stepped inside, carrying a glass of milk. My adopted brother. The one my parents had taken in after...