The ride home was silent. Too silent. The weight of Mara's heartbreak filled the car like an unbearable storm cloud, suffocating and unrelenting.
She sat in the back seat between Steve and Stefan, her hands trembling in her lap, her lips pressed together so tightly they were almost white. She refused to cry in front of Celeb, who sat in the passenger seat, stiff and quiet, his guilt carving into him like a blade.
But the moment they reached the Shepherd mansion and the door closed behind them Mara broke down.
A sharp, gut-wrenching sob tore from her chest as she collapsed onto the couch, her whole body shaking.
Stefan immediately wrapped his arms around her, his grip firm, grounding. "Shh, Stef," he murmured. "He's not worth this. He's not worth your tears."
But it only made her cry harder.
