Chapter 4
Rain pelted the city for the next three days, matching Alec’s mood. Too embarrassed to take the one flight of stairs up to Nico’s place, Alec realized they never exchanged numbers. He contemplated ways to apologize—sending a dozen balloons over the railing with a sign proclaiming “I’m sorry,” or launching paper airplanes onto Nico’s balcony filled with poetry and remorse. The rain, thankfully, held off every dumb idea. It was more than fear, however, that stopped Alec from employing the simplest solution—inviting Nico to his place like a normal human would. Over the past few days, Nico and he shared meals, easy conversation, questionable singing, and stories of their lives. What they did not share was any effort to define that as anything beyond a simple lockdown friendship.
On
