BEN POV

I closed the door to my room and that’s when it happened.

The dam broke.

The tears I’d been holding back all evening came flooding out, falling faster than I could wipe them away. My chest felt tight, like someone was sitting on it, like breathing itself had become a battle I wasn’t sure I was ready for.

God… Why did it hurt this much?

I slid down against the door until I was sitting on the floor, knees pulled to my chest, hands trembling.

I thought I was done ...