Chapter 30: The Quiet Before
The night didn’t recover after that. They stayed a little longer, because leaving immediately would have made it too obvious—too real. But something had already shifted, something that couldn’t be undone with a drink or a forced smile. Athena felt it in the way their conversations no longer flowed the same way, in the way pauses stretched just a little too long, in the way she became aware of everything she said before she said it. By the time she finally spoke, the decision had already settled in her. “I’m going to turn in,” she said softly. Bobby looked at her, as though measuring the distance between what she said and what she meant. “Already?” “We’re leaving early tomorrow,” she added. “I’m tired.” It wasn’t untrue. But it wasn’t everything. He nodded after a moment. “Okay.”
- Writer
