Chapter 7: Running Away

Chase hardly stayed at his apartment these days—he moved back home.

I guessed he must have fought with his girlfriend.

After all, cheating is a big deal. It’s hard not to notice.

I chewed on my pen and sighed.

I don’t know who my future sister-in-law is, but I’m sorry.

I really didn’t mean for any of this to happen.

So frustrating.

I glanced at my unfinished assignment.

I’m already a senior. Maybe I should just go overseas.

It’s torture seeing him every day, pretending nothing happened. If I were his girlfriend, I’d have dumped him by now.

Although Chase doesn’t know anything yet.

I started looking up foreign universities and applied for grad school.

The blue light from my laptop glowed in the dark room. I scrolled through Reddit threads about international programs, half-reading horror stories about student visas and homesickness. London, Toronto, maybe even Melbourne—anywhere but here. Anywhere I wouldn’t run into Chase Carter in the hallway, wouldn’t have to see the guilt and confusion flicker across his face.