Chapter 27: Showing Up

I woke up later than usual, sunlight already coming through the gap in my curtains. I couldn't remember what time I'd gone to bed, which probably explained why I felt like I'd barely slept.

For a few seconds, I just stared at the ceiling, still half asleep. Then last night came back to me: Nicole sitting beside me in the car, her hands fidgeting in her lap, the way she'd looked at me before she left.

I reached for my phone on the nightstand and checked the time.

7:42 AM.

There were a couple of notifications on the lock screen, mostly from the group chat. Nicole's name was sitting underneath them.

I stared at it for a second before unlocking my phone.

Nicole: Good morning 😊 Did you sleep well?

Of course she texted. I wasn't sure why I'd expected anything different. The strange part, though, was how normal it felt, like last night hadn't happened at all. Except I knew it had, and so did she.