the world between us

A life built on "No." A heart waiting for "Yes."
Lyra is a masterpiece of self-restraint. With her waist-length, cerulean hair and a wardrobe of sharp lines, she has spent years suppressing every impulse, every craving, and every flicker of rebellion. In her world, discipline is the only thing that keeps the chaos of her family's history at bay.
But her carefully constructed fortress is crumbling.
In the dim, humming shadows of a hospital car park, Lyra faces the ultimate test of her iron will. Her sister, Maeve, has just been diagnosed with a severe mental illness-a diagnosis that carries the weight of a life-or-death sentence. Maeve is pleading for an escape, a drive into the night, a promise that Lyra will choose sisterhood over the cold safety of a locked ward.
Amidst this fracturing reality, Lyra carries a secret she can barely admit to herself: Julian. A man who represents everything she denies herself-warmth, spontaneity, and a love she feels she hasn't earned. Every time she looks at him, her "no" wavers. But with Maeve's life hanging in the balance, Lyra fears that letting Julian in will mean letting her guard down at the exact moment she needs to be made of stone.
To save her sister, Lyra must become the villain in Maeve's story. But as she suffocates her own desires to play the savior, she must decide if she's willing to sacrifice her own chance at happiness-or if Julian is the only one who can help her survive the fallout.