Chapter 26

• Chapter 26: Not Making It Easy For Him
• She’s been lying on her bed for over an hour now, staring up at the ceiling fan as it spins in lazy, indifferent circles above her. Anger simmers just beneath her skin, thick and suffocating, like smoke without fire. He ignored her. Again. After everything—after she made the effort, showed up, swallowed her pride. And still, silence.
• She hugs her pillow tightly to her chest, jaw clenched so hard it aches. But the sharp edge of frustration eventually gives way to something heavier, something slower. Disappointment. That old, familiar weight pressing down on her ribs. She hates how much she wants his attention. Hates that he still has this power over her. That he can make her feel so tangled up, so ridiculous, without even trying.