Chapter 165

DAHLIA

I woke to the faint sliver of sunlight cutting through the blinds, brushing across my face like a quiet reminder that the world keeps moving even when I don’t want it to.

My body ached in places I hadn’t noticed before. My mind replayed last night in sharp, jagged pieces… the confrontation, the accusations, the lies, the truths, the confusion.

I blinked once and felt the faintest pressure beside me.

Izzy sat on the edge of the bed, head bowed, hands twisted together nervously. She didn’t speak at first. I thought she might have retreated, leaving me to wallow in the aftermath alone, but she was still there.

“Dahlia…” her voice trembled, soft as a whisper. “I… I’m sorry. For last night. For everything.”

I turned my head toward her. The lines of tension on her face, the weight in her eyes… it wasn’t manipulation. It was regret. The kind that isn’t easily feigned.

My anger softened almost immediately, replaced with a heavy sort of compas