Angela didn't know how long she wandered the rain-soaked streets. The chill seeped into her skin, but the storm inside her drowned out everything else. The encounter with Edmund replayed in her mind, the heat of his kiss juxtaposed with the sting of betrayal, a maddening reminder of how much control he still had over her. She hated him for how easily he made her lose control, for the way he unraveled her every defense.
As she turned a corner, a neon sign flickered in the distance, its pale light cutting through the haze of rain. An all-night café caught her eye. The cozy warmth beyond the fogged glass windows was a stark contrast to the turmoil inside her. Angela slipped inside. The place was nearly empty, just a sleepy barista behind the counter and an elderly man reading a newspaper in the far corner. Angela ordered a black coffee, needing something bitter to match her mood.
Her phone buzzed on the table, the screen lighting up with a name she didn't want to see. Julie.