Chapter 12. Slamming Doors
The next morning, the sun peeks through the window in my living room, casting a golden glow over the room. I wake up on the couch, my neck sore and my thoughts still muddled from last night. It’s 7 am. I check up on my mother in the downstairs bedroom and find her sleeping soundly. Over the night, I heard her coughing loudly and roughly, struggling to sleep.
When I open the knob to my bedroom, Liam is still asleep in my bed, looking peaceful, completely unaware of the turmoil inside me. My mind keeps replaying his words, “I love you.” I can’t shake the feeling of guilt. I don’t know how to address it, and part of me doesn’t want to. Liam stirs as I’m about to leave, his sleepy eyes finding mine.
“Hey,” he says, his voice groggy. “Where are you going?”
“It’s m
