It had been three days since Chloe Bennett disappeared from the rest of the world.
But she was everything but unsafe.
If anything, she was calm. And for the first time, she felt protected.
In the soft quiet of Nina's aunt's coastal condo, Chloe sat curled on a cushioned armchair by the wide living room window.
The sea was visible from here, endless and silver-grey, stretching into a sky bruised with morning clouds. A light breeze carried the faint scent of salt and rosemary from the garden below, and for the first time in what felt like weeks—maybe longer—her heartbeat wasn't in a race against itself.
She wasn't checking her phone.
She wasn't crying.
She wasn't running.
The only person she thought of was herself.
"Tea?" Nina asked, stepping in from the kitchen, two mugs in her hand.
Chloe looked over and offered a grateful smile. "Yes. Please."
Nina passed her the cup and sank into the couch nearby, tucking one leg beneath her.
