EMBER’S POV
Three polite rapt on the wood.
“Ember.” Rafael’s voice through the bedroom door, warm and concerned, exactly calibrated. “You haven’t eaten all day. I had the kitchen prepare something light — soup, bread. I’ll leave it outside your door. You don’t have to see me. Just eat.”
I don’t answer. The clink of a tray on the floor is followed by his footsteps retreating.
I don’t touch the tray.
The second knock comes mid-afternoon. Softer, almost tentative.
“I understand you’re angry, and I accept that. You have every reason.” A pause. A sigh that sounds almost frustrated. “But starving yourself in a locked room isn’t going to bring him back, Ember. It’s not going to undo what happened. Come out. Even just for air. I’ll keep my distance.”
He waits three full minutes. I count. Th
