LYRA POV
The veranda was empty, the only sound the distant call of a bird, breaking the oppressive silence. The early morning light slanted through the wood, casting long, erratic shadows across the ground. I sat there, barely able to breathe. The coffee in my hands had long since gone cold, but I didn’t notice. My pulse was frantic, a constant reminder of the battle raging inside me. The weight of everything, of what had happened yesterday, it clawed at my chest, tightening like a vice.
Hunter sat next to me, his presence a familiar comfort, but I couldn’t let it settle. Not today. Not with this damn storm inside me. His arm was casually draped over the back of the bench, fingers brushing against my shoulder now and then, but it didn’t stop the chaos inside. The silence between us stret
