Abby was stretched out across the futon, staring at the ceiling as the last sliver of daylight drained from the room. Shadows crept along the walls, softening the edges of the furniture until everything felt distant and unreal. Somewhere beyond her closed bedroom door, the television murmured. She could hear Lucas and Celia laughing at something, their voices warm and easy, threading through the apartment like a reminder of everything she didn’t have.
She had no desire to join them.
Instead, she lay there in the dim, her chest aching with a dull, constant throb that never quite went away anymore. Being away from Joe hurt in a way she hadn’t known was possible. It wasn’t just emotional. It was physical, like a tight band wrapped around her ribs, like something vital had been cut loose ins
