CHAPTER 156

The night was still, with only the faint rustling of leaves outside Aunt Lou’s house to break the silence. I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, my thoughts a tangled mess of regret and uncertainty. No matter how hard I tried to push it away, the image of Leon’s face—the hurt in his eyes, the desperation in his voice—kept replaying in my mind.

I had been so certain, so sure of my decision to break up with him. After everything I had gone through with Justin, I thought I was doing the right thing, protecting myself from more pain. But now, the more I thought about it, the more I began to question everything. Had I been too impulsive? Had I let my past dictate my present, punishing Leon for sins he hadn’t committed?

I sighed, rolling over to bury my face in the pillow. But the thoughts wouldn’t go away. They kept gnawing at me, whispering doubts into my ear until I could no longer ignore them. The truth was, I missed Leon. Even in the short time since our breakup, I felt like a piece