Chapter 182

Elodie's POV

Morning light peeked through the kitchen blinds, painting stripes across the table like prison bars. I sat with a bowl of cereal I wasn’t eating, pretending to scroll through my phone while every nerve ending waited for Kiernan to come downstairs.

When he finally appeared, it was worse than I expected.

He wore his hockey jersey for spirit day—black and silver, sleeves tight around his