CHAPTER 157

The air was cool as Leon and I walked side by side, the tension from the past few days slowly easing away.

My phone buzzed in my hand, and I saw Aunt Lou’s name flash on the screen. I hesitated for a moment before answering, knowing I had to tell her about my decision to stay with Leon for the night.

“Aunt Lou?” I greeted, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Margarette, where are you? Are you alright?” Aunt Lou’s voice was filled with concern.

“I’m with Leon,” I replied, glancing at Leon, who was watching me with a soft, encouraging smile. “I... I’m going to stay with him tonight. We need to talk and sort things out.”

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before Aunt Lou spoke again. “You and Leon worked things out, then?”

I sighed, knowing she deserved more of an explanation, but I wasn’t ready to dive into the details just yet. “We’re getting there. I’ll explain everything when I see you, Aunt Lou. I promise.”

Aunt Lou seemed to sense that now wasn’t the time to press f