Chapter 4

Sunlight streamed through Emma's loft windows, casting long rectangles across the hardwood floor where I sat cross-legged with my laptop. My eyes burned from crying and lack of sleep, but a strange clarity had settled over me in the quiet morning hours. Last night felt like a fever dream—Nathan driving us to Emma's place, his quiet strength as he helped me inside, the gentle way he'd squeezed my hand before leaving.

"You need coffee," Emma announced, padding across the floor in fuzzy slippers and placing a steaming mug beside me. "And a plan. We're making a plan today."

I wrapped…