Chapter 105

• SELENE
• Silence stayed with me on the drive home, thick and unmoving. The quiet followed inside as the bags were dropped on the counter, one by one. No words came when Elara and Silas were pressed together in the kitchen. They pulled apart fast, faces flushed, apologizing at once, asking what was wrong. My head shook without thought. Stairs carried me away before they could say more.
• Upstairs felt colder. Clothes slipped off slowly, like my body was unsure. Steam filled the bathroom as hot water touched my skin. Muscles loosened, but my mind did not. It drifted back to Alpha Orion and his confusing story, every tangled detail replaying itself. A short laugh escaped before I could stop it. Jealousy. The word sat ugly and sharp in my chest.