Elsa
We arrived at the motel late into the night, the weariness of the journey weighing heavily on me. Lucas and I were assigned the same room, a small, cramped space with a single bed and no couch or chair to offer an alternative.
I knew what this meant—we would have to share the bed. The thought made my stomach twist uncomfortably, but I said nothing. Instead, I waited, keeping silent as Lucas settled in and eventually drifted off to sleep. His breathing slowed, filling the room with a rhythmic calm that felt worlds apart from the storm inside me.
Once I was sure he was fast asleep, I quietly slipped out of the bed and onto the floor. The cold, hard surface was far from comfortable, but it was better than lying next to him. I couldn’t.
I doubted I ever would be able to again. The
