Zoe's POV
The moment the door closed behind me, I exhaled loudly, rubbing my face like I could physically wipe the weight of everything away.
My bag slipped from my fingers and landed somewhere on the floor—I didn't care where.
I moved forward instinctively, deeper into the room, like my body already knew where safety used to live.
It felt so good to be back here.
My room.
My cave.
A place where I didn't have to watch my expressions. Where I didn't have to perform. Where no one was studying my reactions or waiting for me to say the wrong thing.
For a moment, it felt safe.
But only to an extent.
Because even here, even now, I wasn't truly safe.
I sank into the bed, letting myself fall backward, the soft mattress catching me as the fluffy blanket wrapped around my legs.
The familiar weight of it gave me a second of comfort—just one—but I couldn't hold onto it.
I sat back up, stretching stiff muscles, then slid off the bed and headed straight for the bathroom.
