NICHOLAS’S POV

The morning after felt unbearably still, raw, and heavy with unspoken words.

I had just barely shut my eyes when the sound broke the silence; it came softly, nearly hidden, yet strong enough to reach through my mind.

A broken sob, Ava’s sob.

Quickly I rushed out to her corridor. I went still right there in the corridor by her room door, my hand paused inches from the door knob as I wanted to open the door.

It was as if my heart was crushed in a sudden squeeze, leaving me ...