38- The Temptation of Escape

His words hung in the air between us, and I felt the weight of them settle over me. It sounded so tempting, so simple. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t. Nothing with Aiden was simple.

Still, the thought of seeing my mother, of easing her worry, was too strong to ignore. I had caused her so much pain already, had left her in the dark without any answers. She deserved to know that I was alive, that I was okay.

Luke must have sensed my hesitation because he stepped even closer, his voice low and persuasive. “Think about it, Isabella,” he said softly. “Your mother is sick. She’s worried about you. Don’t you want to ease her pain? Don’t you want to make things right?”

I swallowed hard, my heart aching with the weight of guilt. He was right. I couldn’t just leave her like this, worrying herself sick over me. I had to do something. I had to see her, to tell her I was okay.

But there was still a part of me that hesitated, a part of me that didn’t fully trust Luke. What if this was a trap? What