Chapter 37 Visitor

• Nina
• I’m staring at a report on my screen, the words blurring together as my fingers tap aimlessly against the desk. I’ve read the same line three times, but it doesn’t matter. The numbers and charts are just noise now, background static to the thoughts crashing around in my head. The morning’s already been long, but it feels like it’s dragging, each minute stretching into the next. I’m not sure if it’s the exhaustion, the lack of sleep, or the weight of everything else hanging over me, but I can’t focus. It’s like I’m moving through molasses, every task an effort.
• Elijah’s texts are still open, sitting like a weight on my screen, a constant reminder of everything I don’t want to deal with. The bouquet of roses he sent sits there too, just beneath his messages, their vibrant colors mocking me. I can practically smell them—a sharp, sweet scent that does nothing but stir up emotions I’m not ready to face. His messages are still waiting for a response, but I don’t know what to say. I’m not even sure I want to. But I can’t bring myself to close the damn app either.