PAEDYN NOVA
It still didn't work!
I didn’t bother pacing. I just sat still, my hands folded in my lap, watching Junie like she was the only piece on a chessboard I hadn’t yet moved. She stood across from me, her back tense, her eyes full of guilt, her fingers fiddling with the ends of her apron like she could braid her shame into something prettier.
“I need you to do something for me,” I said.
She blinked at me. “Anything. Nova… I didn’t mean to…”
“I know,” I cut her off, calm as ice. “And I already forgave you. That’s why we’re still having this conversation.”
She nodded quickly, but she looked like she expected a dagger to fall from the ceiling.
“You’re close to Nora now, aren’t you?”
Her eyes widened. “What? No… I mean, not really. She just… after what happened, she…”
“You’re
