Chapter 26

• Daniel’s POV
• My phone felt like a heavy rock in my hand. Sienna's silence weighed on me. I kept seeing her cold words in my mind: "I need space, Daniel. This is too messy. We're too different. You're too young." Too young? Too messy? What did any of that even mean? I slammed the phone on my desk. The sound echoed in my quiet office. My chest felt tight. I was so mad. One minute, she was holding onto me, whispering about feeling lonely. The next, she was pushing me away, building walls so fast I couldn't climb them. It didn't make sense. I didn't understand her. And it was driving me crazy.
• I leaned back in my chair. I ran both hands through my hair, pulling at it. I hoped it would make my head clearer. Sienna was like a puzzle I couldn't solve. She was warm and distant, needing me then pushing me away. Every time I thought I was getting closer, she would slip away. What was her problem? Was it really about how old we were? Or was there something else she wasn't saying?