Chapter 3

The night air hit cool and sharp the moment we stepped outside the hotel. Samuel slipped off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. It carried a faint scent of soap, clean and warm.

He said, "Let me take you home."

I nodded and didn't refuse.

Neon lights streaked past the cab window, one after another.

Neither of us spoke the entire ride. Samuel sat quietly beside me, stealing the occasional glance in my direction. His eyes carried a careful, guarded kind of concern.

When we pulled up to my building, he walked me to the front door. I turned to go inside, but he called out to me. "Leah."

I looked back. He was standing under the streetlight, his clean-cut face serious and intent.

"Everything I said tonight, I meant it. It's not pity, and it's not some impulse." He paused. "I've had my eye on you for a long time."

The tips of his ears flushed red as he spoke, but he held my gaze and kept his voice steady, every word clear and deliberate.

Something stirred in a quiet corner of my chest.

But I was so tired. Three years of love had shattered in a single night, and I didn't have the strength to let someone else in. Not now. Not even if he was sincere.

"Samuel, thank you." My voice came out barely above a whisper. "But I think I need some time."

He nodded without pushing. "I can wait."

He gave me a small wave, then turned and walked away. His shadow stretched long and thin under the streetlight until he disappeared around the corner.

The moment I closed the door behind me, the tears broke through.

I slid down against the door and sank to the floor, sobbing until my whole chest ached.

I cried for the three years I had poured into someone who never deserved them. I cried for my own stupidity, my blind naivety.

And I cried for the girl who had once looked at Lucas like he was her entire world, because that girl had died tonight.

I didn't know how long I sat there. By the time I finally pulled myself off the floor, my knees had gone numb.

I dragged myself to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face. The eyes staring back at me in the mirror were swollen and red, and something about the sight struck me as almost laughable.

Lucas didn't deserve my tears.

Starting tonight, I wouldn't shed another one for him.

I pulled out my phone and deleted every trace of Lucas: his number, his text threads, his Instagram, his TikTok. Not a single one remained.

Then I dug through my drawers and pulled out everything connected to him.

I found the hair clip he gave me, the photo booth strips we took together, the little notes he wrote me, and that hoodie he said he'd "leave at my place for now."

I stuffed it all into a trash bag, carried it downstairs, and tossed it in the dumpster.

When I was done, I went back to my room and collapsed onto my bed.

The second I closed my eyes, the image of him kissing Susan flooded right back in.

I clenched my jaw and forced my mind somewhere else.

I tossed and turned all night, not sleeping.

The next morning, my phone woke me up with notification after notification buzzing nonstop.

The class group chat had exploded, but it wasn't because of me. It was because of Samuel.

Someone had dropped a bomb: [Holy shit! Guess what I just saw? Samuel and Leah showed up at school together, and they were eating breakfast!]

The replies came flooding in.

[or real? Samuel? The guy who talks to no one?]

[Doesn't Leah like Lucas?]

[You didn't hear? Lucas and Susan made it official at the graduation party last night.]

[Oh my God. That is a LOT to take in.]

[So Leah got dumped and already moved on to Samuel?]

[That was fast.]

I stared at the screen, and my fingers tightened around the phone.

The chat kept blowing up until Lucas finally chimed in.

Lucas: [Why's my name in this? She can be with whoever she wants. Leave me out of it.]

It was a single line, casual and detached, as if he were talking about a stranger who meant nothing to him.

I read those words, and whatever hope I had left was shattered completely.

Then a private message from Samuel popped up: [You up? I brought you breakfast. I'm downstairs.]

I froze for a second, then walked to the window and looked down.

Sure enough, there he was, standing below with a bag in his hand, looking up at my window.

Morning sunlight fell across him. He stood tall, with sharp, clean features, and when he spotted me peeking out, he waved. The corner of his mouth lifted into a small smile.

Something shifted inside me in that moment. A new life could begin.

I changed and headed downstairs.

Samuel held out a paper bag. "Got you a latte and a breakfast sandwich. Still warm."

I took it from him, and the warmth of the cup seeped through the paper into my palms. "How'd you know where I live?"

"Asked around." He said it like it was nothing. "I've got a good memory. Someone tells me something once, and it sticks."

That was true enough. He had always been known for his memory, borderline photographic.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

"Don't mention it." He paused. "Any plans today?"

"Not really."

"Wanna go for a walk then?"

I looked up at him. His eyes were bright, and there was a careful kind of hope in them.

That look reminded me of myself the night before. I had looked at someone the same way, full of expectation, and all I got back was cold silence.

I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Sure."