Rebecca

I didn’t sleep.

Not really.

I lay there with my eyes shut, heartbeat a traitor, every nerve coiled like it was waiting for something else to ignite. Across the room, Maximus’s breathing had deepened. Slow. Measured.

He slept like someone used to danger. One foot in the dream, the other still ready to strike.

Eventually, I turned on my side, facing the wall.

Just breathe.

That was what I told myself. Breathe and survive. It’s what I’ve ...