Ever since the heartbreak, Ebony has been sleeping, eating (a few times), and staying in her room avoiding everyone until the week she was meant to report back to school. Ebony stayed in the shower the longest, thinking and not motivated to resume school. She let the water run through her body as if trying to wash away every single thing that was holding her back. The dream of her being locked away by Hale persisted, and it disturbed her so much to want to accept this being the end of them. And it pained her so much to think it was her fault.
Ebony then made up her mind to never let herself go anymore. She should never welcome any romantic feelings for anyone regardless of how strong it was. She was afraid of the next one being more tragic than this. Ebony hated how helpless she was and how frightened she must have made Hale be when he found out that she was in love with him.
