Malem's POV
The moment I stepped out of the café, my chest felt both lighter and heavier at the same time.
Lighter because I had finally faced Michael.
Heavier because the echo of his words still clung to me like smoke, refusing to disperse.
I didn’t go home immediately. The streets were crowded with people heading home from work, laughter and chatter mixing with the faint smell of roasted corn from a nearby vendor. But I felt suspended in a different world, like my body was moving through air too thick to breathe.
Without thinking, I called Rexxie.
She answered on the second ring, her voice brisk, no-nonsense. “Well? Did you do it?”
I exhaled. “I met him.”
“Of course you did.” A sigh. “Alright, spill.”
I found myself pacing down the sidewalk, one arm wrapped around my stomach lik
