After the sound of Adrian's car had faded completely, Elara remained in the tub for a long time, her body trembling a little from the cold water.
Then, slowly, she tried to move. Her hands slipped against the smooth surface as she pushed herself up, but her strength failed her. She took a long breath, shifted her weight, and dragged herself over the edge. Her body tipped and she rolled out of the tub onto the floor with a thud.
She didn't move for the first few seconds.
Then she slowly pulled herself toward the wall and rested her back against it. Her head leaned back, her breathing heavy. She was too exhausted to stand, too drained to even think about leaving. So she just sat there, her eyes fixed on the door.
"I was the one who gave her the push."
The words kept echoing in her mind, over and over again.
Her eyes began to sting, her vision blurring. At some point, without realizing it, her head tilted to the side… and everything went dark.
* * * *
