The car glided down the main avenue, the city lights reflecting on the windows like liquid constellations. Inside, the silence was heavy. Not a single word had been spoken since the door had closed with a muted thud.

Eloise kept her face turned toward the window, but the tears continued to fall in silence. What hurt the most wasn't what Lawrence had said.

It was the fact that it had hurt.

As if some part of those words had still found an echo in old wounds she thought had healed.

Beside