Chapter 124

THE BEGINNING OF THE END VI

Jason's POV

The bar wasn’t crowded, but it wasn’t quiet either. A low hum of conversations mixed with clinking glasses created a steady rhythm. I sat in a corner booth, my fingers nervously tapping against the wooden table. The glow of the overhead light made the transparent liquid in my glass shimmer, but I hadn’t touched it.  

It had been three weeks since I met Mabel. Three weeks since she found me broken, bleeding, and lost. And now, even after I had been discharged from the hospital, she was still here. I couldn’t shake the thought—why does she care so much?

I didn’t deserve her kindness. I hadn’t even fully healed emotionally. I still haven't fully gotten over Bianca yet, even though I knew she had found her happiness elsewhere. Meeting Mabel had been like finding a lifeline I didn’t know I needed. But was it fair to her?  

“Hey, Jason,” a familiar voice called out, soft yet vibrant