Chapter 13 His Hate

• Luna’s POV
• The entire day has slipped away like sand through my fingers, disappearing along with Lucy. It’s almost eerie how quiet everything has become. I haven’t heard a single word from Justin. No Happy Birthday. No message at all. I can’t wrap my head around it—how could he forget? My mind whirls in confusion as I sit there, my eyes lingering on the pile of gifts from my stalker, their presence so loud in the silence.
• Every inch of me recoils at the sight of them. Part of me wants to throw them away—again. But I know it won’t matter; it didn’t work last time. Nothing stops him. I feel a shiver creep down my spine, and it’s as if my own home no longer feels safe. With a heavy heart, I rise and head toward my bed. Stripping the sheets feels like shedding a layer of the fear and unease clinging to me. I throw the old ones in the wash and replace them with fresh, clean linens. But even as I do it, I know how absurd it is. Cleaning the bed won’t scrub away what happened or what haunts me now.