Chapter 29
No More Running — We're Together Again.
The hallway was quiet, the soft hum of dorm life drifting through the walls.
I stood outside his door, heart pounding like a wild drum.
This time, I wasn't running.
I knocked.
He opened it, eyes wide but calm. No questions — just a small, knowing smile.
"Can we talk?" I asked, voice barely more than a whisper.
He nodded and stepped aside.
We sat on the floor, backs against the cool wall, silence thick but comforting.
After a long pause, he finally broke it:
"I never stopped thinking about you. Not once."
I looked down, hands twisting nervously.
"I was scared to admit I still cared. Scared to get hurt."
His smile was soft, almost shy.
"Me too. But maybe… maybe we're done running now."
I dared to meet his eyes.
"Maybe."
We talked for hours — about the past, the mistakes, the silent nights filled with 'what ifs.'
"I want this," he said quietly. "You and me. Real this time."
I swallowed, heart swelling and breaking all at once.
"Me too."
Just as I leaned in — ready to close the distance between us —
click.
The door burst open.
Fatima and Yuri stood there, grinning like they'd just caught the biggest secret.
Fatima smirked. "Well, well, well, look who finally stopped pretending."
Yuri gave me a wink. "About time."
Keifer groaned, burying his face in his hands.
"I swear, you two are the worst."
I laughed — the tension melting away.
"We're together," I said, louder this time. "No more running."
Fatima cheered.
Yuri gave me a thumbs-up.
And for the first time in forever, it felt like home.