She shook her head, forcing herself to keep folding a scarf.
“He doesn’t deserve that right now. He’s… happy with Clara. Or pretending to be. And I can’t drag Adrian into that kind of mess.”
Ethan sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. “
You’re strong, Em. Stronger than any of us. But you can’t erase him forever.”
“I’m not trying to erase him,” she murmured. “I’m just trying to survive.”
*******
As dusk fell, the city turned gold. The drive to the airport was quiet, broken only by Adrian’s soft humming in the back seat. Patricia held his hand while Emery stared out the window, watching the skyline fade behind her.
Every landmark carried a ghost.
The café where she and Damian had first argued.
The park where he had smiled for the first time in weeks.
The street where she
