CHAPTER 121

The smell of freshly brewed coffee lingered in the air as I sat by the window, watching the world pass by outside. The sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving a warm, orange glow that spread across the sky.

Yet, the same questions that had haunted me since that day at Rosie's bakery continued to swirl in my mind.

Why hadn't Leon contacted me? What did I say that might have caused this distance?

My thoughts wandered back to our conversation at Rosie's. The way his eyes darkened when I told him we needed to stay neutral, that he shouldn't fall in love with me—it was as if a wall had suddenly sprung up between us.

I only meant it as a way to protect us both, to keep things simple, but now I was starting to wonder if I had only made things more complicated.

I sighed deeply, pressing my palms against my forehead.

I had never been good at relationships, I guess and this was no exception. I mean look at my recently failed marriage, and now even a simple friendship with Leon seemed to h