Chapter 43

• The morning light glowed across the floor of Daniel’s bedroom, hitting his face with a warm, golden radiance. Most mornings, Daniel would groan at the intrusion, burying his face in his pillow and cursing the sun for existing. But not this morning. This morning, he didn’t even flinch when the brightness invaded his sanctuary.
• He lay there, perfectly still, staring at the ceiling that he’d memorized over the years. His hands were tucked behind his head, his body relaxed in a way it hadn’t been in months. He was replaying every single second of the night before, frame by frame, like a film he could rewind and watch on an endless loop.
• “I did it. I actually did it. I told her the truth. After months… no, years of hiding it, of swallowing it down every time she smiled at someone else, every time she mentioned Luther’s name with that dreamy look in her eyes, every time Ethan put his hands on her like he had every right… I finally said it out loud.”