Ignoring Cassian's calls would have consequences.
I knew that.
Cassian didn't do disobedience. He didn't even understand the concept of someone telling him no. And I knew exactly what kind of punishment he had waiting for me on the other end of those missed calls.
But right now, standing alone on that empty street with everything in my life unraveling like cheap thread…
I couldn't bring myself to give a single damn.
All I wanted was silence. Oblivion. A way out of my own head.
A way to stop feeling like my entire chest was being hollowed out with a blunt spoon.
My hands shook as I pulled up my phone settings, breath unsteady. One swipe, and his incoming rage turned into a quiet little icon.
Silent.
The screen went black, and something inside me felt like it did too.
I shoved the phone into my pocket and kept moving, step after step, like momentum was the only thing keeping me upright.
I walked past the bus stop where I normally waited after work.
