Weeks passed, and the tension in the house was almost unbearable. Clara avoided Lena at all costs, and Lena couldn't help but feel the weight of her sister's coldness every time they crossed paths. It was like a piece of her family had been ripped away, and Lena wasn't sure how to repair it.
One evening, after dinner, Lena sat on the porch alone, staring at the dark sky above. She wasn't sure what she was looking for—answers, perhaps, or a sign that things would eventually get better. But all she saw was a void.
A few minutes later, Jace joined her, sitting down beside her without saying a word. They sat in silence, the sound of the night crickets filling the air.
"I can't keep doing this, Jace," Lena finally admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I feel like I'm losing everything. Clara, my mom... I don't know how to fix this."
Jace sighed, resting his arm around her shoulders. "I know it's hard, but you're not alone in this, Lena. I'm here. And we'll figure it out together, one step at a time."
Lena leaned into him, her body heavy with the weight of everything that had happened. "I wish I knew how to make things right. I hate that we've hurt people."
"I know," Jace said softly. "But we can't change the past. All we can do is try to make things better moving forward."
Lena closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of Jace's presence beside her. Despite everything that had gone wrong, there was a part of her that still believed in them—believed in what they could be, despite the odds stacked against them.
"I don't know what the future holds," Lena whispered. "But I know I don't want to lose you."
Jace kissed her forehead gently. "You won't lose me. No matter what happens, we'll face it together."
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