Chapter 89. Staying Calm

Elena’s POV

Later that night, the restaurant lights dimmed as Beĺa and I lingered over the last of our meal, neither of us in any real hurry to leave. Outside, the pack buzzed with life, but at our table, everything felt unspoken and heavy.

Bella traced the rim of her glass. “I’ll leave soon,” she said suddenly.

I glanced up. “Where are you heading to?”

“The apartment,” she replied. “The one Mark and I lived… back when everything still made sense.” She gave a small, humorless smile. “I’m there alone.”

I nodded, choosing my words carefully. “That can’t be easy.”

“It isn’t,” she admitted. After a beat, she added, “I thought about coming back with you tonight. To Eric’s place.” Her eyes flickered away. “But I don’t want to make things worse. Not if he still hasn’t forgiven me.”

“He will,” I said calmly. “Just not overnight.”

She studied me for a long moment, then exhaled. “You’re really determined to fix this.”

“Yes,” I said.