CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
LARA’S POV
Going back to my parents’ house that weekend felt strangely comforting. Like returning to a version of myself that existed before everything became complicated. Before Adrian. Before the rumors. Before Chris started looking at me differently.
I arrived Saturday afternoon carrying two bags and emotional exhaustion.
My mother opened the door first.
And immediately gasped dramatically.
“Oh my baby looks skinny.”
I blinked.
“What?”
She pulled me inside before I could protest.
“You’re not eating properly.”
“I literally gained weight.”
“Exactly. Stress weight.”
That made absolutely no sense. But honestly? I missed this. The noise. The familiarity. The smell of home-cooked food lingering around the house. My father looked up from the couch the moment I en
