Sofia didn't hear Harper calling her for breakfast. She sat on the edge of her bed, still in yesterday's clothes, her eyes red and puffy from crying through the night.
The key was gone. Ian had it.
And the horrifying weight of what she'd done twisted in her chest like a blade. Harper had trusted her—welcomed her in, fed her, remembered her favorite shampoo, bought her art supplies just because she mentioned them. Harper tried. Genuinely.
And Sofia had handed over the spare house key to the man stalking her.
When she finally forced herself into the kitchen, Harper was placing warm toast on a plate. "Hey, sleepyhead," she said, smiling. "Rough night?"
Sofia blinked. "Yeah. Just… studying."
Jacob looked at her over the rim of his coffee mug. "You look pale. Everything okay?"
"I'm fine."
But her voice cracked on the word.
At school, she barely spoke. Didn't laugh during chemistry. Barely touched her lunch. Naomi caught her behind the gym, her eyes narrowed with concern.
"He asked for more, didn't he?"
Sofia nodded.
"What was it this time?"
"I… I gave him the spare house key."
Naomi's breath hitched. "Sofia."
"I didn't know what else to do," Sofia whispered. "He threatened me. He said he'd tell everyone—Harper's company, my dad's school… even your family."
Naomi crouched next to her, voice low but fierce. "You can't keep giving him what he wants. This isn't about just you anymore. You're putting her in danger."
"I know," Sofia said, choking on the words. "But what do I do now? If I tell, I ruin everything. My dad will never look at me the same. And Harper…"
"She'll be terrified. But she won't hate you," Naomi said gently. "You didn't plan for this. You didn't know it would go this far."
"I started it," Sofia muttered. "I wanted them to break up. That's what I wanted."
Naomi reached for her hand. "Then end it. Start fixing it. Please."
That evening, Harper gently knocked on her bedroom door.
"Want to go for a walk? Just around the block. It's beautiful out."
She held out Sofia's jacket.
"You used to love going for walks with your dad."
Sofia hesitated… then nodded. "Okay."
They walked side by side beneath a sky streaked with pink and orange. Harper didn't talk right away. She matched Sofia's slow, uncertain steps in silence.
"You've been quiet lately," Harper said eventually. "You don't have to tell me why. But I notice."
"I'm just tired."
"Your dad told me you picked out my birthday card last year," Harper said with a little smile. "Said you spent half an hour deciding."
Sofia glanced at her. "I did?"
"Yeah. It meant a lot. You were trying. That's all I ever wanted. I never wanted to replace anyone… I just wanted to be here, if you needed me."
Sofia looked away, throat burning. She wanted to scream the truth. Confess everything.
But the moment passed, and they walked in silence again.
That night, in her room, her phone buzzed.
Ian: Perfect night for a stroll.
Her stomach dropped.
Were you following us?
Ian: You said she liked walks. Thought I'd see it for myself.
You promised not to hurt her.
Ian: And I haven't. But you're slipping, Sofia. If you disappoint me again… I'll have to escalate things. You wouldn't want that.
Ian: Next, I want something closer. Something intimate. A piece of her. Something no one else touches.
Her heart stopped.
What does that mean?
Ian: You know what it means.
She dropped the phone and curled up on the floor, trembling. The walls were shrinking in around her.
The next few days, she became a ghost in her own home.
She jumped when Harper called her name. Snapped at Jacob when he asked about school. Flinched when a book dropped too hard on her desk. Naomi tried to talk to her at lunch, but Sofia smiled hollowly and walked away.
That night, Naomi texted:
You don't have to protect anyone. Not even yourself. Just talk to me.
Sofia didn't reply.
The final straw came in the laundry room.
Sofia had gone down to throw away a small bundle of clothes. Among them—a pair of Harper's underwear. Ian's latest demand.
But she couldn't do it.
She stood frozen, hands shaking, the bundle clutched like it burned. Tears streamed silently down her face. She was crumpled on the cold tile floor when Harper walked in.
"Sofia?"
Sofia quickly wiped her cheeks. "I—I dropped something."
Harper didn't question it. She simply knelt and gently placed a hand on Sofia's back. "We are here for you, you know. Whatever it is, you're not alone."
Sofia nearly told her. The truth clawed at her throat.
But she pulled away. "Thanks. I'm okay now."
Harper watched her, worried. As if she knew that whatever was wrong… had only just begun.