Chapter Twenty-One
Liam It’s been a week since Mia left. Seven days that have felt both impossibly long and strangely fast. The house next door is quiet, the way it always is now. Even her mom’s voice sounds softer, missing the soundtrack of her daughter running around. I pace my room, phone in hand, staring at the little blinking cursor in our chat thread. How’s the dorm? Did you make friends yet? I tried the pizza place you mentioned—disaster. I type. I delete. I type again. Every message feels like a lifeline, but I’m careful. I don’t want to smother her. Don’t want to make her think she can’t breathe in this new world without me. Finally, I settle on: I miss you. When’s your first weekend free so we can video chat properly? A few minutes later, the reply comes: I miss you too. Saturday? I’ll be
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