Chapter 171

Upon asking, he revealed that he brought me here to abort this baby, speaking the words gently yet firmly, as though they were the most reasonable solution to everything that had happened. Reasonable, he said, as if reason had any place in this wreckage. He explained it would be quick, safe, and that afterward things could start to feel normal again, but each word landed like a small stone in still water, rippling through me until I could barely breathe.

My throat tightened with the thought alone and I told him I needed time. Time, I have discovered, is a liar—it promises distance but delivers only more remembering. The words came out small and shaky, barely above a whisper, but he nodded without pressing, giving me space I wasn’t sure I deserved. He agreed and took me back to home, the car ride silent except for the low hum of the engine and the occasional sound of traffic outside the window. But then I went crazy.

The night came, the stars arrived, and the sudden surge