Jessa

I stayed curled up in bed, the covers pulled tight around me like a shield, trying to block out the world. My room was dim — blinds drawn, the faint morning light barely slipping through the cracks. My phone buzzed on the nightstand for what felt like the hundredth time, but I didn’t even look at it.

I couldn’t.

If I saw Noah’s name… or worse, a message from someone laughing at me… I might shatter completely.

The house was unusually quiet. Mom had left for work at dawn, ...