“I’m just trying to protect you,” Eleanor says, her voice strained as she watches me process her words. “Nathan won’t stop. If you and Gabriel stay together, he will escalate. But if you leave him, publicly—if you break it off in front of everyone, it might just be enough to make him back off.”
I sit back in the chair, my hands clenched into fists. It’s hard to think clearly with my heart pounding in my chest. The weight of her suggestion crushes me.
“But Lily…” I start, my voice breaking. “I don’t want her to grow up thinking she’s responsible for this. That my choices led to this kind of chaos. I can’t put her through that.”
Eleanor leans forward, her eyes full of concern. “You’re not putting her through anything. You’re trying to keep her safe. And sometimes, Jasmine, love means maki
