Pauline's POV
The sterile white ceiling above me offered no comfort as my thoughts spiraled out of control. The plain surface left too much room for my mind to wander into territories I desperately wanted to avoid. In the distance, I could hear the rhythmic click of the nurse's heels against the polished floor as she made her rounds between patients.
Having someone nearby should have brought me peace, but all I wanted was complete silence.
I pressed my eyelids together, begging my restless thoughts to settle.
What was wrong with me?
I had walked through Apex's gates knowing full well that my chances were nonexistent. That chapter of my life had ended before I ever filled out the application. I thought I had accepted that reality.
Yet here I was, sprawled across a clinic bed, my chest constricting because the boy I cared about refused to acknowledge my existence.
None of this was Windsor's doing. I understood that rationally.
