LOVELORNED

LOVELORNED CHAPTER SEVEN

Chapter 7: The Hoodie

I stared at Addison’s story until my screen went black.

Caleb’s hoodie.

The gray one. The one he wore every day at the curb.

On her chair.

Kayla snatched my phone. “Don’t. She’s baiting you.”

“She’s succeeding,” I said.

My voice sounded flat. Even to me.

Lily knew him.

Lily sent him to me.

And now he was maybe with her?

The journal was still open on my bed.

Lily’s last words staring up at me: “Promise me you’ll let someone in again.”

The irony wasn’t lost on me.

My phone rang. Caleb again.

I let it go to voicemail.

Then texted: “Is it true?”

Three dots.

Then: “No. Can I come explain? Please. 5 minutes.”

I didn’t answer.

An hour later there was a knock.

Not at my door. At the building entrance downstairs.

The RA buzzed me.

“Package and a person for Maya. He says it’s urgent.”

I went down.

Caleb was standing in the lobby. Soaked. No umbrella.

Holding a dry-cleaning bag.

Inside the bag: his gray hoodie.

“I don’t own this,” he said immediately. “Look.”

He unzipped it.

There was a tag inside. Property of UIC Theater Dept.

“Addison is doing a book promo with the theater club,” he said fast. “They borrowed hoodies for a photoshoot. ‘Relatable author aesthetic.’

She posted it to make you jealous. To make me jealous. I don’t know.”

He looked wrecked.

“Addison and I are not a thing. We never were.

The only girl I’ve thought about in 4 years is you.”

I wanted to believe him.

God, I wanted to.

“Then why didn’t you tell me about Lily sooner?” I asked.

“Because I was scared,” he said. “Scared you’d think I was only here out of guilt.

Scared you’d hate me for reading the journal.

Scared that if I told you the truth, you’d leave again.”

He stepped closer.

“I’m not asking you to forgive me for Navy Pier tonight.

I’m asking you to let me prove I’m not the same 17-year-old boy who ran.”

The lobby was quiet. Just the hum of the vending machine.

He pulled out one last green envelope.

“Last one,” he said. “I promise.

Read it when you’re ready. Not now.”

He set it on the front desk and walked out.

Into the rain.

Without the hoodie.

Without waiting for an answer.

Kayla came down 2 minutes later.

“Girl. You okay?”

I picked up the envelope.

It didn’t say Maya on it.

It said: “For when you remember she wanted you to be happy.”

I didn’t open it.

But that night, at 3:15 AM, I did.

Inside was a photo.

Me. Age 17. Under the red umbrella.

And Lily. Age 16. Laughing.

And in the background, barely visible…

Caleb. Watching us from across the street.

On the back, his handwriting:

_“She asked me to watch you. I did. Every day for 3 months.

I fell in love before I ever said hi.

I’m still in love.

-C”_

TO BE CONTINUED…