Celeste’s POV
I was still crying when Mother burst into my room without knocking. The tears had been flowing ever since Karl had told me he needed space. He’d essentially broken up with me, told me that if things didn’t change, we were over completely.
“Oh, stop wallowing in self-pity, girl. Look at yourself—don’t you realize how pathetic you look right now?”
I jerked my head up from where I was sitting on my bed, clutching one of the pillows to my chest. Mother’s face was twisted with fury. I knew that look all too well. Knew exactly what was coming now.
“Get up,” she hissed as she shut and locked the door behind her.
I scrambled to my feet, nearly tripping over the blanket that had been wrapped around my legs. “Mother, I—”
The slap came so fast I didn’t see it coming. My head snapp
