Chapter 34

DAHLIA

When I stepped into the restaurant on Sunday morning, I knew the stares were inevitable. Still, I wasn’t prepared for the complete silence that swallowed the air the second I walked in. Conversations were cut short, spoons froze mid-air, and heads turned with wide-eyed disbelief.

What the heck is going on here? What are they? High school kids?

I don’t even know what Sundays at work feel like. This is my first. The last Sunday I was with Sebastian, fishing. But since it’s in the contract I signed, I have to be here—company policy. I’d have loved to stay in my dorm and prepare for class on Monday if it were left to me, but it’s Loren’s strict rule.

Aside from that, something about staying away felt... wrong. Like I was hiding. Like I was letting someone else dictate my place in this space. And after the emotional chaos that happened here yesterday, I needed to reclaim some part of my confidence.

“Good morning,” I say, forcing a polite smile as I br