Elena's POV
I woke up to silence.
The kind of silence that doesn't feel peaceful, the kind that settles heavy on your chest, making it hard to breathe.
For a second, I kept my eyes closed, almost afraid to check. Maybe if I stayed still, I'd hear the soft rustle of sheets beside me, or the low hum of Justin's breathing. But the bed felt too vast. Too cold.
I opened my eyes.
The other side of the bed was empty. The sheets were smoothed, as if he'd never been there at all. My heart sank in that quiet, ugly way where the pain doesn't stab, it just spreads slowly, like ink soaking into fabric.
I pushed myself up, my hair falling messily over my face. The morning light was spilling faintly through the curtains, and it caught on the dust motes floating lazily in the air. For a moment, I just sat there, staring at the empty space beside me, my fingers clutching the sheet like it could tell me where he'd gone.
