CHAPTER 123: DRIFTING APART

The tape mark on the back of Daisy’s hand itched where the IV had been. A faint bruise was all that remained, proof of the days she’d spent under the hospital’s routine.

This morning, the doctor smiled and said the words she’d been waiting for: "You can go home this afternoon."

Home. The word should have felt comforting, but instead it rang hollow.

Her phone lay warm in her palm, screen lighting up with familiar names. Her thumb hovered, scrolling past Theo’s number, once instinct, now nothing but a weight in her chest. Four days in this hospital bed, and not a single visit, not a call, not even a message.

Instead, her thumb stilled over Aurora’s name. She swallowed hard, then pressed call.

"Aurora?" Her voice came out small, almost unsure. "I... the doctor said I can leave this afternoon. Could you... maybe come get me?"

There was a pause, but Aurora’s reply was gentle and calm. "Of course. Don’t worry about anything, I’ll be there. Should twelve be okay?"

She didn’t ask what had happened, didn’t push for details she wasn’t sure Daisy was ready to share. And for that, Daisy felt a knot in her chest loosen just a little.

"Hmm... I think it should be okay," she replied weakly.

By noon, Daisy found herself sliding into the passenger seat of Aurora’s car. The seatbelt clicked into place, and silence settled between them as the city rolled past outside the window. Daisy kept her eyes fixed on the blur of streets and trees, grateful for the quiet, but also painfully aware of it.

For a long while, neither of them spoke. Then Aurora’s voice came, soft but certain. "Mom and Dad miss you. Should we head to my house first?"

Daisy turned her head slightly, surprised. Aurora was probably aware of her situation and came up with the offer, knowing full well she had nowhere else to go right now. The offer was gentle, practical, and without pity was exactly what Daisy needed but couldn’t ask for.

Her throat tightened. "Would it be okay?" she whispered.

Aurora glanced at her briefly, her smile reassuring. "It’s always okay. Oh, but just a heads-up, Daniel’s at home right now. Semester break. So it might be a little loud... you know him."

A faint smile tugged at Daisy’s lips despite herself. "Right. Him and his music."

Aurora chuckled, eyes on the road. "Exactly. He’s been experimenting with something that sounds like... well, I’d call it noise, but he insists it’s ’artistic layering.’ Just... don’t be shocked if the walls are vibrating when we get there."

Daisy let out the smallest laugh, the sound feeling strange in her own throat after everything. But it helped. Aurora’s casual tone, her easy teasing, was grounding, like nothing had changed, even though everything had.

"Maybe I should bring earplugs," Daisy muttered, and Aurora grinned.

"You should... or it might be hard for us to take a rest..." Aurora glanced at her briefly and gave her a warm smile.

The car slipped back into quietness. Aurora’s eyes remained steady on the road while Daisy tilted her head against the window, staring out at the blur of passing lights. Her mind felt blank.

Was it truly empty? Maybe. Or maybe it was just her way of coping, when there was too much crowding inside her, she preferred to shut it all off, to let herself feel nothing at all.

Her reflection in the glass looked pale, almost foreign. For a fleeting second, she wondered if this was what it meant to be hollow, still breathing, still moving, but without anything holding you together inside.

Aurora’s voice broke gently into her thoughts, soft enough not to startle. "Do you feel like eating something? I can ask Mom to cook whatever you like."

Daisy shook her head lightly, her lips barely parting. "Anything is okay."

Aurora gave her a small nod, not pressing further. The car hummed steadily, the silence between them soft rather than heavy, wrapping Daisy in a fragile cocoon of safety she hadn’t realized she needed.

=====

Theo’s office was steeped in its usual stillness, the blinds half-drawn to filter the light into muted stripes across his desk. He sat there, posture straight, eyes lowered to the papers in front of him though his gaze seemed far away.

Miles stood in front of him, hands folded neatly behind his back. "She was discharged earlier today, sir," he reported in a crisp tone. "Aurora was the one who picked her up."

For a moment, there was no reaction. Theo’s expression remained as impassive as stone, his features sharp, unreadable. His fingers, which had been resting on the armrest, stilled completely.

Miles, who had worked with him long enough, recognized the silence for what it was: not indifference, but control. Whatever Theo thought of the information, he wasn’t about to let it show.

"Noted," Theo finally said, voice flat, cold enough to close the subject.

Miles turned, ready to walk out of the room that felt like having a winter season despite the current weather.

"Did you transfer the money I asked you to?" Theo’s voice cut through the quiet, low and steady.

Miles halted, pivoting back toward the desk with a respectful nod. "Yes, sir. The remaining amount has been wired to her account. Exactly as agreed."

Theo leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable, as if they were discussing any other transaction. The faintest flick of his gaze toward the window was the only movement, his features otherwise carved in stone.

"Good," he said at last, the single word cool and detached.

Miles knew better than to linger. He gave a curt nod and left, though he couldn’t help but notice that despite his employer’s tone, the air in the office felt heavier than before.

Alone again, Theo leaned back in his chair. "The money was transferred..." he muttered under his breath, his gaze drifting to the phone on the desk. He hated to admit it, but a part of him wished she would be the one to call first.

’So why hasn’t she contacted me yet?’