The next morning, Anna was jolted awake by her phone buzzing violently on the nightstand. Groaning, she reached for it blindly, half-asleep and tangled in her blanket.
Before she could even open her eyes properly, Betty's voice practically screamed through the speaker.
"BIG SIS! CHECK YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA—RIGHT NOW!"
Anna bolted upright, heart racing, still bleary-eyed and disoriented. "Betty, it's—what—the hell time is it?" she mumbled, rubbing her temple.
"Doesn't matter! Just check it!"
Anna blinked, her mind still catching up as she reached for her phone. That was when she noticed the other side of the bed—empty.
'Again.'
For a second, her heart gave a faint tug. She didn't even know why she was still expecting him to be there. Maybe because last night, for the first time, she had actually fallen asleep peacefully—with him.
She shook the thought away quickly. Focus, Anna.
Clicking open her social media handle, Anna scrolled through her notifications—and froze.
