Belief.
“That’s what I was waiting for,” he says.
A small smile pulls at my lips.
Because this time—
I’m not reacting.
I’m choosing.
I lean back, my shoulder brushing his.
Light.
Intentional.
And I don’t pull away.
Neither does he.
Outside, everything is shifting.
Truth spreading.
Pressure building.
Danger coming.
But inside this small apartment—
I make a decision.
I’m not the girl who took the blame anymore.
I’m the woman who’s about to take it all back.
22
Tessa
Ididn’t sleep much.
Not because I was afraid.
But because my mind wouldn’t stop.
Everything felt different now.
Not lighter—exactly.
But clearer.
Like something inside me had finally clicked into place.
For the first time in years…
I wasn’t waiting for something bad to happen.
