Walking past Cassie felt like stepping over clutter–unnecessary, loud, and easy to ignore.

There was no need to ask why she was there, and even less reason to acknowledge her with a smile.

Because women like Cassie? They thrive on being seen.

And silence? Silence starves them.

But she couldn’t help herself.

“You know, I used to sit right there too. Years ago.” Her voice dripped behind me as I took my seat by Liam’s window. “The only difference is, he’d have been waiting for me ...