(Kira's POV)
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"I'm a friend of Lena's."
The words hung in the air like a memory, fresh and crisp. They had left my mouth in a breathless stammer, barely louder than a whisper, but far louder than I wanted them to be. They dangled in the air like a noose, tightening with every heartbeat. My stomach dropped.
Maddie didn't move, though. She stood still in the doorway, the sunlight forming a crooked halo behind her, outlining her silhouette in a stark glow. Her shadow spilled toward me, long and unmoving. The silence between us stretched thin and taut, every second ticking by like a warning.
I didn't dare blink.
