Chapter 51

• RAINA
• The ache in my chest had become a constant companion these past weeks. A month had passed since I told Nathan I needed space. At the time, it felt like the right thing to do, a necessary step to see him for who he truly was. But now, the silence between us was deafening.
• I’d tried reaching out. A text here, a voicemail there, tentative gestures to bridge the gap. But each attempt was met with nothing. No responses, no signs of life. He hadn’t shown up at my door, hadn’t called back, hadn’t given me any hint of where he stood.