Amelia POV

I ran to my car like the ground was on fire, my heels scraping pavement as the door slammed shut behind me. The silence inside the vehicle was loud, broken only by the frantic rhythm of my breathing. My hands shook as I gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white, heart hammering so violently it felt like it wanted to escape my chest. I stared at my reflection in the windshield, wide eyed and flushed, and barely recognized the woman staring back at me.

I couldn’t believe how ...