Angela POV
I paced back and forth, the floor creaking beneath my feet as I caught a glimpse of Lyra and Kurtis through the window. Their easy laughter and locked hands hit me like a punch to the gut. They looked so… happy. But that happiness wasn’t meant for her, it was supposed to be mine, on my terms. I’d walked away from him, but that didn’t mean I’d given up my claim. He was supposed to wait for me, to always be within reach.
The anger surged, and I bit down hard on my lip, tasting blood. How could Lyra do this? I’d told her to keep him distracted for a while, not to run off and make something real with him. It was supposed to be a quick, meaningless distraction. Instead, she went and turned it into a fairy tale, right under my nose.
The door behind me opened, and James stepped in w
