Chapter 37

• "I can't do this anymore, Cole." Funmi’s voice trembled, barely above a whisper, but the weight of it hit me like a freight train. I’d heard the words before—had been expecting them—but hearing her say them, seeing the tears well up in her eyes, felt like a punch to the gut.
• I didn’t move. Couldn’t. My body was paralyzed, my heart in freefall. The distance between us, the space that had once felt comfortable, now felt suffocating. She was standing in front of me, her arms crossed over her chest like a shield, and I knew she was waiting for an answer. But I didn’t have one. Not yet.
• "Funmi..." I finally managed, my voice hoarse, strained. "Please don’t—"