- Roxy Delgado:
The morning felt heavier than it should've. The apartment was quiet, but the silence wasn't peaceful — it was the kind that made my chest feel like it was full of smoke. Sloane had left for the hospital hours ago. I didn't say much when she walked out, didn't even ask if she wanted me to drive her. She didn't look back either. Just that soft click of the door and the echo of her heels fading down the hall.
I tried not to think about her. Tried to focus on the sunlight leaking through the blinds, the smell of the cheap coffee I'd just made, the low murmur of Mateo and Jackson talking in the kitchen. But my mind kept wandering back to her — the way she wouldn't look at me, the way she avoided my eyes like she was afraid of what she'd see there.
My phone rang, sharp and sudden. I frowned when I saw Kyle's name.
"Yeah?" I answered, expecting something casual.
"Roxy." His voice was sharp, too sharp. "You need to come home. Now."
I paused. "What's wrong?"
