Chapter 224

Cecilia's pov The horror movie credits rolled across my screen, casting a ghostly blue glow over the walls and my unmade bed. I'd picked something especially gruesome—the kind where good-looking people make stupid choices and wind up dead in increasingly creative ways. It was mindless, bloody, and loud—exactly what I needed. Somehow, watching all that blood and screaming made my own mess feel...manageable. Predictable, even. At least their horror had rules. Mine didn't. I scrolled through the recommended titles, a blur of bloodied faces and ominous fonts. None of them landed. Just jump scares and screaming women, fear dressed up for Halloween. I closed the app and set the screen facedown on the bed. The light vanished, and for the first time tonight, the quiet crawled in around me. My phone lay untouched on the nightstand, screen dark. I told myself I was only checking the time. 9:07 PM. The location-sharing icon caught my eye, glowing faintly in the corner. Sebastian and I had exchang