Chapter 68

• KEILAH
• I woke up slowly, my eyelids heavy and resistant to the light filtering through the room. Everything felt distant and hazy, like I was trapped in a fog I couldn’t escape. As my eyes gradually adjusted, I recognized the familiar scent of Ralph surrounding me, a comforting blend of pine and something uniquely his. It was enough to ground me, to remind me that I was in his room, safe for the moment.
• But the relief was short-lived. My mind began to pull at the edges of memory, dragging me back to the terrifying moment I wished I could forget where Zac punched me in the stomach. The searing pain, the shock, and the feeling of helplessness flooded back. I bolted upright in the bed, my heart racing wildly. “My baby!” I screamed, the words tearing from my throat as if voicing them could change what had happened. Panic surged through me, a torrent of fear and grief that I couldn’t control.