"If not Addie… then maybe Levi?" Maxwell added, unwilling to let go of hope just yet.
Zion let out a slow breath. "That guy… forget it. He's probably still brooding over what happened with Greg. His pride and confidence took a serious blow; something like that doesn't heal quickly. Honestly, we'd already be lucky if he's helping Addison shoulder the burden, and luckier still if the two of them have managed to talk things through."
He paused, jaw tightening. "That's the best scenario I can imagine right now. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, I'm being realistic."
Zion didn't want to crush Maxwell's hope, but false hope was far more dangerous. If they clung to something fragile and events took a sudden turn, the price they'd pay would be devastating. Better to keep their minds sharp, to keep searching for alternatives, than to let hope lull them into complacency and stop thinking altogether.
