Chapter 7 Whispers & Warnings

• Bella – 8:14 a.m.
• The sunlight looked too gentle for a place like this. It filtered in slowly through the sheer white curtains, slipping into the room like warm milk being poured over cool stone. The soft glow touched everything—spilling across the pale walls, catching on the edges of the large window, even warming the corners that still didn’t feel like mine. This wasn’t home. No matter how expensive the furniture looked or how peaceful the morning appeared, it still felt like a stranger’s space wearing a pretty mask.
• The strong scent of salt and smoke from last night had disappeared completely. It had been replaced by something much cleaner—like citrus-scented soap and fresh linen straight from the dryer. The air was lighter now, but my chest still felt heavy. At some point, I must have taken a shower, though I couldn’t remember when or how I’d even made it into the bathroom. Maybe I had been half-asleep. Maybe I had just been too tired to think. Now, I was wrapped in a robe so soft and smooth it felt like clouds against my skin. It was too luxurious to be real. My legs were curled underneath me as I sat quietly in an oversized armchair by the window. My toes were warm, tucked beneath the thick robe, and my fingers were wrapped around my knees, still unsure of what to do next.