~Karla's Pov~
The road blurs past the window, a streak of dark trees and fading city lights, but I can't see any of it not really. My eyes are dry now, but only because I ran out of tears twenty minutes ago. My chest aches in that way grief settles in, like it's taken up residence in my ribs, hollowing out everything that used to feel whole.
Jake doesn't say a word. That's one thing about him; he's always known when silence is kinder than comfort. His knuckles are tight on the steering wheel, jaw clenched like he's trying not to feel anything either. But I can tell—he's hurting for me.
We pull off the main road and into a familiar, winding path that leads to the lake. The same lake we used to sneak off to during high school. The place where we once lay on the grass, dreaming of freedom. Tonight, it feels like that memory belongs to a different girl.
