After Celeste ran off in tears, I just stood there for a moment. Guilt irking my chest, making me feel like absolute garbage. Maybe I hadn't chosen the right words. Maybe I'd been too harsh. But I needed to push her away—at least for the next month. Claudia's prophecy could clearly not be ignored.
The way she said it, getting involved with Celeste would somehow lead to my death. And then there was that scene I'd witnessed back in Central Vedelia…
No. It was better this way.
If I managed to survive this mess—if she didn't hate me by then—maybe…
But that was a problem for the future. Right now, I couldn't let this eat away at me, no matter how awful I felt.
With a sigh, I turned and started walking toward the cafeteria. Or at least, I tried to. My steps slowed as a headache formed just from imagining what would happen the moment I stepped inside. The stares, the hushed whispers, the not-so-subtle glares. Eating in peace? Yeah, that wasn't happening.
