Chapter 6

Winter in Los Angeles was nothing like New York. The rain seemed to chase me wherever I went.

I rented a tiny apartment by the beach. If I pushed the window open, I could see the ocean.

For countless nights, I still woke up drenched in cold sweat.

The doctor said stress magnified these lingering traumas.

I deleted all my social media accounts, changed my bank cards, and lived off my savings and some help from my parents. I wanted a completely clean slate.

But the moment I had too much free time, the memories would flood back.

I dug…