Ella woke up feeling more refreshed than she had in days. Last night had been a turning point. She’d managed to gather her thoughts, sorting through the turbulent emotions she’d kept buried for too long. Now, she had one goal: clarity. She’d let her heart get tangled up with too many feelings that had only led to confusion. Now, she needed a clean slate.

Wrapping a towel around herself, she moved closer to the mirror and absent-mindedly twisted her hair into a loose bun, exposing the ...