Catherine's phone seemed relentless, ringing with one piece of bad news after another. Each call confirmed the same thing—she had lost all her part-time jobs.

The weight of her crumbling world threatened to overwhelm her, but she refused to succumb to despair.

When her phone buzzed again, Catherine glanced at the screen. Her heart sank as Ryan's name appeared.

She hesitated for a moment, but she knew avoiding him wouldn't change anything. With a ...