Hope

TRISTIN'S POV

"Don’t you love me anymore, Tristin?"

I felt a pang of guilt. Despite our issues, I did care for Livia. But our relationship had become strained, and moments like these only added to the tension.

"Of course, I do," I said, sitting down next to her. "But we need to talk about this. You can’t keep doing this, Livia. It’s not fair to either of us."

She leaned her head on my shoulder, her breath smelling of alcohol. "I’m sorry," she murmured. "I just miss you. We hardly see each other anymore."

"I know," I said softly, wrapping an arm around her. "But we need to find a better way to deal with this. For both our sakes."

We sat in silence for a while, Livia gradually dozing off. My mind drifted back to Eva again, and I couldn’t help but wonder how she was settling in. It was odd, feeling this protective urge toward her. I barely knew her, but something about her had struck a chord.

I shook my head, focusing on the woman beside me. Whatever I felt about Eva would have to stay b