The heartbeat series

r, gripping the edge with white knuckles. "Mom, I said I d

k up. "Antena, we've been over this. This move is for your own good. Y

fitting in here. I've made friends-real friends-for the first time. I'm not goin

n calm but unyielding. "You might not understand now, but you will one day. Life isn't a

" she screamed, the words echoing through the small kitchen. Without waiting for a response, she

her eyes as she slid down to the floor, burying her face in her hands.

the floor beside it. She grabbed the stuffed animal she'd had since she wa

dn't understand why her mom couldn't see things from her perspective. It felt

to focus on her breathing, counting slowly in her head to calm

ough for her to think clearly again. Maybe, just maybe, sh

the quiet of her room wra

long. A knock at the d

oice was soft, almost he

th the sleeve of her hoodie. "Go away,"

ther said, still on the other side of the door. "But

ou think dragging me out of the only place I've ever f

ntended, and the silence that f

her mother said quietl

a long moment before shaking h

tsteps retreating down the hall. The knot in he

r blanket. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, but she ignored it

uld she ever feel like her life was hers? Or was she dest

own to check the cut. It wasn't deep, just enough to leave a mark-a

her. For now, all she wanted was to disappear into sleep