Chapter 32

• LYDIA
• Dex glances at us and then quickly looks away. Ever since that night in his room, something between us has changed. He has grown colder, more distant, and the space between us feels heavier every day. It’s strange how silence can hurt more than words ever could. Each time our eyes meet and he turns away, I feel a tightness in my chest that refuses to ease.
• Calma and Clara greet me with bright smiles when I join them. I try to return their warmth, but my thoughts are elsewhere, tangled in Dex’s voice when he begins to speak.