Chapter 26. Day I Rejected Him

Athena

Leah and I finished up the day’s work, but I couldn’t concentrate on anything. My mind kept wandering to Sera lying in that hospital bed, to the similarities between her story and mine, to the way Tristan had dropped everything to be there for her.

When we finally closed up, Leah offered to drive me home as planned.

“Actually,” I said, making a sudden decision, “could you drop me at the market? I want to get some things to make dinner.”

She looked surprised but nodded. “Of course. I can wait for you if you want.”

“That would be great,” I said, grateful for her company. The thought of being completely alone right now didn’t appeal to me.

The market was busy with the evening rush, families picking up last-minute ingredients for dinner, couples debating over wine choices.

I moved through the aisles mechanically, grabbing ingredients for Tristan’s favorite pasta dish. Cooking for him felt like something concrete I could do, a way t