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    Chapter 0758


    "Where''s that lovely wife of yours?" she asked. "Is she still sleeping in on a Saturday morning?"


    The words hit me like a punch to the gut, momentarily causing my breath to catch in my throat. I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening around the edge of the countertop as I struggled to find my voice.


    "Be honest," M cooed. "It''s alright..."


    "Nina''s... we''re not..." I trailed off, unable to continue speaking. It felt as if a knife had been driven into my throat, rendering my voicepletely lost. I couldn''t utter the words, no matter how hard I tried. Or maybe I just didn''t want to.


    The woman''s smile faltered, her brow furrowing as understanding dawned on her face.


    "Oh, honey... I''m so sorry," she murmured, shuffling her feet nervously behind the counter. "I didn''t mean to pry,"


    I swallowed again. "It''s alright."


    The woman sighed. "Well, it''s a damn shame... You two were just the cutest couple. What happened?"


    I opened my mouth, grasping for an exnation, but then M''s voice cut through the fog once more.


    "Come to the woods, my darling. Follow the path until you reach the old oak tree. I''ll open a portal and bring you home, where you belong."


    Home. Yes, home sounded good. Anywhere but here, really. Anywhere but surrounded by this painful memories and stinging words.


    Blinking rapidly, I rose from the stool, fumbling in my pocket for a few crumpled bills to leave on the counter.


    "Thanks for the coffee, but I''ve gotta go," I mumbled, turning away from the woman''s concerned gaze and all but running out of the diner.


    "Wait-I didn''t even give you the coffee yet! Hey, wait! Your money!" the woman called after me, but I didn''t hear her. I burst out of the diner and into the warm air, and then I ran in the one direction I knew.


    Toward M''s voice.


    The trees seemed to close in around me as I followed the trail through the forest, my mind a jumbled mess of memories and M''s insistent instructions. The closer I came to wherever she was waiting, the more hurried her voice became as though she was worried I might turn back.


    And for a moment, I almost did.


    My footsteps slowed on the path, my eyes widened. Wait-what was I doing? Nina would never...


    "Don''t waste time!" M hissed, her voice like a knife slicing through my mind. "Hurry!"


    Part of me knew this was wrong, that I should be fighting against the haze that clouded my thoughts, but it was getting harder and harder to hold onto any sense of rity. I nodded, feeling almost puppet-like beneath M''s voice, and kept walking.


    Finally, I reached the gnarled old oak tree that M had mentioned, its twisted branches creating a canopy over the clearing.


    "M?" I called out.


    As if on cue, the sound of fizzling static filled the air. I turned to see a portal opening at the base of the tree, and felt my heart leap in my chest.


    M emerged from the portal a momentter, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders as she moved towards me with her arms outstretched. "Enzo, my love," she cooed, reaching for me. "How I''ve missed you dearly..."


    I found myself frozen in ce at that moment, caught between the desperate yearning to go with her and the


    fleeting remnants of my own free will.


    Our eyes met then, and something deep within me sparked to life-the tiniest flicker of resistance that had me turning to cast onest, lingering look over my shoulder.


    And for the briefest of moments, the veil lifted, and I saw with searing rity the path that had led me here. No, I couldn''t do this. I had to go back to Nina, back to where I belonged


    But then M''s arms were around me, and the fog rolled back in, muffling that small, insistent voice until it faded into silence once more.


    Yes, this was where I was supposed to be.


    With her.