Page 15 of Before Dawn

By the time it ended, I needed an escape.

The gym. The only place where the pressure eased, even if just for a moment.

With each rep, each set, my pulse steadied. The tension unwound, little by little.

And then—her.

Copper platinum curls. A smile that wouldn’t leave my mind.

Jasmine and amber, lingering in my senses.

Everything else faded. The gym, the weights, the pressure.

For one fleeting moment, there was only her.

Warning

The following chapter contains heavy mentions of mental health/physical health issues. Please refer to the content warning list to be reminded of any potential triggers. Your well-being is important to me, so please take care of yourself while reading.

Chapter Four

Abigail-Ann

“We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.”

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

What was the saying? Ah, yes—disappointed but not surprised.

I sat in the living room, staring at the last message Joshua sent three weeks ago. No calls. No texts. Not even a simple:Did you land safely?

My sister, Aurora, had always told me one thing: Never let a man show you he doesn’t want you more than once.

I should have listened.

Regret settled deep in my chest, the kind that felt like a weight pressing down on my ribs. My eyes burned, but then I remembered Mikkel’s words.

“Whoever or whatever made you cry isn’t worth it.”

He was right. Joshua wasn’tworth it.

Dr. Green, my therapist, always said that sometimes, happiness requires cutting people off. Maybe it was time I finally did.

“Abigail!” Auntie Leann’s voice snapped me from my thoughts. I looked up at the woman who was practically Azzaria’s twin.

“You look upset. Is everything alright?”

I nodded. “I just have something difficult to do.”

She sat beside me, her voice gentle. “I know it’s hard, but you’re strong. It might hurt now, but you’ll get through it.”

I turned my phone toward her. “Do you think I should respond to this?”

She gasped, eyes widening. “I don’t think he deserves a response. But do you?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

She stood, grabbing her bag. “Then wait until you’re sure. If you don’t feel like talking to him until you get back to California, then don’t. Do what makesyouhappy. He can go fuck himself.”

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