98. Like My Life (Luke POV)

I stormed into the house, my fingers clenched around the keys until they bit into my palm. With a frustrated growl, I hurled them across the room. They collided with the wall, scattering in different directions, like my thoughts.

Like my life.

I sank down onto the edge of the bed, my head dropping into my hands.

How did I let myself slide back into this darkness? I was furious, not just at the world, but at myself. Clay had a point, as much as I hated to admit it. His words replayed in my head, each syllable like a hammer strike, shaping the metal of my regret.

But what hurt most was Lexi.

The silence from her was the deepest cut, severing something inside me that I didn't even know was vulnerable. Through our mate bond, I sensed a cloud of mixed emotions—anger, disappointment, sadness. Was it hers or mine? Maybe both.

The door opened quietly, and Clay walked in. I felt his presence fill the room, a bittersweet blend of ease and conflict. I moved to stand up, to put distance between