Seventy four

Belle's POV

I hadn’t moved from my spot on the bed. Not an inch. I sat there, staring blankly at the wall across from me, my mind heavy with thoughts, swirling memories of last night that I couldn’t quite shake.

Everything felt so distant yet so vivid, playing over and over again in my mind. The weight of it all bore down on me, rendering me numb.

Opposite me, Zane sat with his back against the headboard, his eyes wide open, just watching. He had been watching me all night. He hadn’t said much, but I could feel his presence, steady and unwavering, like a tether keeping me from completely unraveling.

His gaze hadn’t left me, and for some reason, I found comfort in that.

My thoughts drifted back to the moment it all came crashing down. The nausea that hit me like a brick after the shouting match with my mother, the way she had followed me into the bathroom after I threw up, concern etched across her face despite the earlier anger.

“Belle, are you alright?” she’d asked, her voice surp