When Manu’s watch said 7:00 p.m., I started the walk back to Xavi’s, grateful that it was at least downhill. Outside his building, I rang the buzzer for the attic apartment, but he wasn’t home. I was too exhausted to go anywhere else, so I waited out front for him, sitting on the curb.
Finally, just after 8:30 p.m., he came around the corner and I stood up. My legs were numb.
“Hey,” he said. “Sorry. I thought we were going to meet a little later.”
“I know. I’m a bit early. Do you want me to come back?”
“No, definitely not.” Xavi put his arms around me. His neck was warm against my nose.
After a moment he let go. “Are you okay?” he asked.
I tried to give him a brief synopsis of my day, but instead a whole flood of things came out. I told him about living at the squat, and about th
