There was a long pause, and then Rita spoke again, her tone quieter. "You don't have to do this alone, you know."
Simon stiffened. His fingers tightened on the supplies in his hands, but he didn't turn around. "I've been doing it alone for weeks. I'm not about to change now."
"You don't have to carry all the weight by yourself," Leo chimed in, his voice softer than usual. "We're here. We're with you."
Simon's jaw tightened, and he finally turned to face them. His eyes lingered on Leo first, then shifted to Rita.
"And what's your plan when I die?" he asked, his voice low but sharp. "You think you're going to survive without me?"
Rita didn't flinch. "We don't need you to survive. We need you to trust us."
Simon's heart twisted, but he refused to let it show. Trust was a currency he couldn't afford. "Trust gets people killed," he said flatly.
