*Ember*

I spent the night awake and alone. Though I was hungry, I couldn’t force myself to eat. I was too angry, too hurt, too confused to even think about it. Dawn’s light was coming in through the window when I heard a knock on my door.

“Please go away.”

The door opened, and before I could say anything, I saw Lauryn walking into my room with a sunny smile and a tray of food.

“I hear you had a rough night,” she said. “Made rougher by ...