OLEANDER
Hex and Celina didn't return, and I ended up roaming around the building alone, trying my best to ignore the lingering stares and how everyone suddenly began to avoid me like I carried a disease.
Maybe I deserved that. But I wasn't the one who had attacked the guy, so why was I the one being silently judged?
Eventually, I made my way outside to the pool area and sank into one of the lounging chairs, wrapping my arms around myself against the evening chill.
I sighed softly and leaned back, letting the seat support my weight as my eyes drifted upward. The moon hung beautifully above — full, glowing, and surrounded by a scatter of twinkling stars.
For a brief moment, I forgot where I was. Forgot everything. I let myself slip into the memory of one of the few happy times I had with my family. A moment of peace, until a voice shattered it.
"Oh man, I guess it's just the two of us stuck together," Celina muttered.
