Chapter 88

I buried my face in the pillow, trying to stifle the sob that threatened to escape. I didn’t want to cry, didn’t want to give in to the emotions that were clawing at me from the inside. But it was too late. A single tear slipped from the corner of my eye, soaking into the fabric beneath me. This wasn’t supposed to happen. None of this was supposed to happen.

Sleep, when it finally came, was fitful and full of shadows. Even in my dreams, I couldn’t escape the memory of Clyde’s voice, his touch, his rejection. The nightmares I had been fighting for so long were back, more vivid and haunting than ever. And as I lay there, tangled in the sheets, I knew that nothing would ever be the same again.

I didn’t know when sleep had finally claimed me, but when I awoke, it felt as though only moments had passed since I’d buried myself beneath the covers. The memory of what happened with Clyde still clung to me, a heavy weight that made it hard to breathe, let alone think clearly. My body felt slug