Claire’s POV
Throughout dinner, Daphne’s voice keeps replaying. Sharp. Venom-laced. It refuses to dull with distance or time. Even during the drive back, I’m absent with it, replaying her words until Jeremy glances at me once, then again, his attention sharpening. He asks what’s wrong. I brush it off. I don’t trust my mouth yet.
Now I know he’s watching me across the table, clocking how little I eat, how my fork keeps pausing mid-air. I excuse myself with a headache. Sophia lifts an eyebrow but offers nothing else.
Daniel brings me a bottle of pills, and my eyes get misty. This boy cares for me so much. He tells me to come to bed, and he will tuck me in, and I nod, leaving the double sofa I’m on. I truly have a headache and swallow two pills, ruffling his hair. His grin is immediate, b
