Chapter 88

Selene's POV

The air outside the gates was sharp and cold, the way it always felt when you were about to say something you would regret or never say again. Melissa stood there fidgeting with the strap of her bag, her face twisted in worry.

“I still don’t like leaving you here,” she muttered, glancing at the tall iron gates as if they might snap shut on me any second.

I tried to laugh, but it sounded forced. “What, you don’t trust me to survive one more month with him?”

“Selene,” she scolded, but her lips curved despite herself. “You know that’s not why I’m worried.”

“I know, but I’ll be fine.”

Melissa didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t argue. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me, holding on a little too tight.

“Don’t let him break you,” she whispered.

I pressed my cheek to her shoulder and swallowed the hurt in my throat. “I won’t. I promise.”

When she finally let go, I watched her disappear down the road until even her scent was gone. For a moment, the quiet felt li