CHAPTER 62 Letting Go of a Shadow

　　Eliza’s POV

　　The air in my room felt heavier than ever as if it mirrored the weight in my chest. I sat curled up on my bed, my knees pulled to my chest, staring at the cracked screen of my phone. The video Nikolai sent played on a loop in my mind—Cavin and Natalie, their closeness, his calm demeanor as if nothing mattered to him but her. Secondly, now even Natalie was taking his side, the way she cringed to his arm. And the drama they pretended.

　　It hurts. It stung worse than anything I’d ever felt before.

　　Tears spilled down my cheeks as I tried to make sense of it all. I felt like a fool. Had I been nothing but a distraction to Cavin? Someone to pass the time with until something better—someone better—came along?

　　A soft knock on my window startled me, pulling me out of my spiral of self-pity. I turned, my brows furrowing.

　　“Who—”

　　Before I could finish, the window creaked open, and Nikolai climbed through, his movements smooth and deliberate.