Chapter 50.

STACY.

The moment Nicole disappears from view, the silence between us is suffocating. I can still feel the weight of her hatred, and her eyes burning into my back as if she’s still standing there, watching us. I knew meeting her again was going to be dramatic. Thank goodness there was no crowd in sight to witness all that.

Jason shifts uncomfortably beside me, glancing at me as if waiting for something—an explosion, maybe. But I'm way past that. Nicole is Jason's problem and not mine.

“Stacy,” Jason starts, his voice low and apologetic, “I’m sorry about Nicole. I didn’t think—”

“Don’t,” I cut him off sharply. I don’t want to hear it. Not from him. The last thing I need is another one of Jason’s apologies that won’t change anything. “Alpha Barron, thanks for the supplies, Hannah, let’s just go.”

He flinches at the edge in my voice but doesn’t argue. Instead, he gestures to Avery, who’s been awkwardly hovering near the store entrance, probably wishing she’d been anywhere but here