Penny's POV
The glow from my phone screen feels almost hostile. "Start date moved up. One week."
The words blur as my chest tightens. I reread it three times, hoping it'll change, but no—the letters stay put, marching across the screen like soldiers delivering bad news.
Andrew notices before I can tuck the phone away. "What is it?" His voice is low, cautious.
I swallow. "It's about the job I got. They… they moved up my start date. It's now a week."
He props himself up on one elbow, his eyes searching mine. "Moved up?"
"Yeah." My voice is a whisper. "I leave in a week."
For a moment, he doesn't speak. The silence is louder than shouting. Then he lets out a sharp laugh, the kind that doesn't hold any humor. "A week. Wow, that means we don't have much time together. Damn, they're not even giving us time to—"
I cut in before the panic unravels me. "I didn't ask for this. You think I wanted less time with you? Or with my family? Now that they are beginning to come around?"
