Shattered Stars

Part Three.

Chapter 13: Shadows in the Light

At first, it was subtle. Finn was still the same kind, patient person he had always been, and Nova leaned on him more than she’d ever leaned on anyone before. He helped her through the worst of the withdrawal, stayed with her through every step of her recovery, and even encouraged her to start therapy. In a way, Finn became her anchor—the only solid thing in a world that still felt like it was slipping out of her hands.

But the more Nova started to regain a sense of herself, the more things began to change.

One evening, after she had come back from a group therapy session, she found Finn waiting for her at his house. She’d spent most of her time there since leaving home, and his parents had been unusually generous, not pressing her to go back or find somewhere else to live.

“You were gone a long time,” Finn said when she walked in.

Nova, feeling exhausted, sank into the couch. “Yeah, the session went over. I’m sorry.”

Finn didn’t respond right away, his eyes lingering on her in a way that made her uneasy. She couldn’t quite place it, but something in his expression had shifted in the past few days. He seemed quieter, a little more on edge.

“Just wish you’d told me you’d be late,” he said after a moment, his tone light but his words carrying a weight she couldn’t ignore.

“I didn’t realize I’d be that late,” Nova said softly, trying to shrug it off. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

He didn’t push it further, but she could feel the tension hanging in the air between them. Something unspoken, but heavy.

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Chapter 14: Cracks in the Armor

The small moments of tension between them started happening more frequently. Finn was still there for her, still the person she turned to when she felt lost, but there were times when she felt like she was walking on eggshells. He seemed frustrated when she came back from her therapy sessions, like he wasn’t comfortable with her being out of his sight for too long.

“Why do you have to go so often?” he asked one night as they sat in his room, the glow of his computer screen casting long shadows on the walls. “You talk to me, don’t you? Isn’t that enough?”

Nova hesitated, unsure of how to respond. “It’s different,” she said quietly. “Therapy helps me deal with...everything. I need it.”

Finn’s jaw clenched, and for a moment, she thought he might argue. But then he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I just worry about you. I want to make sure you’re okay.”

“I know,” Nova said, her voice gentle. “I appreciate that, but I need to work through this stuff on my own too.”

Finn didn’t say anything else, but the look in his eyes made her heart twist. She felt like she was disappointing him, like she wasn’t being the person he needed her to be.

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Chapter 15: Slipping Control

Nova began noticing that Finn wasn’t as patient as he used to be. He grew irritated when she spent time with anyone else—especially people from her therapy group. One afternoon, after she mentioned that she’d made a new friend at the session—a girl named Lily—Finn’s face darkened.

“Who is she?” he asked, his voice sharp.

“She’s just someone from the group,” Nova replied, surprised by his tone. “She’s been through a lot too, and we kind of connected.”