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The Almost Date & The Unexpected Fight
Last Updated:
2025-12-21 00:09:56
Latest chapter
THE ART OF FALLING Small Steps, Steady Hands
Chapter 65 The second time Nora stepped outside, she didn’t brace herself. That surprised her more than anything. It wasn’t bravery exactly, it was quieter than that. More like trust. Trust in the way Jaden walked beside her without rushing. Trust in the way Trisha had texted her three times that morning just to say I’m here. Trust in her own body for not betraying her with panic the moment the door closed behind her. They didn’t go far. Just the corner store. It was ordinary in every possible way. Bright fluorescent lights. Narrow aisles. A bell that chimed softly when the door opened. Nora paused just inside, letting her eyes adjust, letting her chest settle. Jaden didn’t say a word. He didn’t point out exits. He didn’t scan the room dramatically. He just stood close enough that their shoulders brushed, grounding without hovering. “You okay?” he asked quietly. “Yes,” she said and meant it. “Just… give me a second.” He nodded. “Take all the seconds you need.” She moved do
THE ART OF FALLING Learning How to Stay
Chapter 64 Morning didn’t bring fear this time. That alone felt like progress. Nora woke slowly, the kind of waking that didn’t jolt her heart awake before her body caught up. She lay still for a moment, eyes closed, listening to the quiet rhythm of the apartment. Somewhere down the hall, pipes hummed softly. Outside, a car door slammed, then faded. Beside her, Jaden breathed evenly. She turned her head just enough to look at him. He was on his back now, one arm stretched above his head, the other resting loosely across her waist like it had found its natural place there overnight. His face was calm, unguarded in sleep in a way she rarely saw anymore. She studied him like this, committing the image to memory. He stayed, she thought. He always stays. Carefully, she shifted, trying not to wake him. Her body still felt fragile, like it was learning itself again, but not broken. Just… cautious. When she sat up, the room didn’t spin. Her chest didn’t tighten. That was new. She wr
THE ART OF FALLING Staying Soft in a Loud World
Chapter 63 Morning arrived quietly, as if it knew better than to rush her. Nora woke to light first not harsh, not blinding, just a pale ribbon slipping through the crack in the curtains and settling gently across the wall. For a few seconds, she didn’t move. She stayed still, listening. The city outside was awake, but distant. Cars passed somewhere far below. A door opened and closed in another apartment. Life continued, but it wasn’t pressing in on her. Her body felt heavy in the best way. Warm. Safe. She shifted slightly and felt it immediately the steady rise and fall beneath her cheek, the familiar rhythm she’d learned by heart long before everything broke. Jaden’s chest. His arm around her waist, relaxed even in sleep, like it had never considered leaving. Her breath caught, not in fear, but in awe. I slept. Not the half-sleep she’d been trapped in for weeks. Not the shallow drifting where nightmares lurked just beneath the surface. This had been real rest. Deep. Dream
THE ART OF FALLING Where She Was Safest
Chapter 62 The rain started sometime after midnight. It wasn’t loud or dramatic, just a steady, gentle tapping against the windows, like the world lowering its voice out of respect. Nora lay awake on Trisha’s couch, wrapped in a thick blanket that smelled faintly of lavender detergent and familiarity. The apartment lights were off except for the small lamp in the corner, casting a warm glow across the room. Shadows stretched lazily along the walls, calm instead of threatening. For the first time in days, her heart wasn’t racing. Jaden sat on the floor beside the couch, his back resting against it, one arm draped casually over the cushion near her shoulder. He hadn’t insisted on sleeping beside her. He hadn’t pushed. He was just… there. Present. Safe. “You’re not sleeping,” he murmured. Neither was she. But she smiled anyway. “Neither are you.” He tilted his head back slightly so he could see her. “I’m on watch duty.” She huffed a quiet laugh. “You don’t have to guard me al
THE ART OF FALLING After the Line Was Crossed
Chapter 61 Nora woke up just before dawn with her heart racing. For a few disoriented seconds, she didn’t know where she was. The ceiling above her wasn’t familiar, the light too dim, the air too quiet. Then the memories rushed in all at once on campus, the quad, the photo, the eyes, the whispers. Her chest tightened. She rolled onto her side and reached out instinctively. Empty. “Jaden?” Her voice came out hoarse. The door to the bedroom opened almost immediately. “I’m here,” he said softly. He’d clearly never gone to sleep. His hoodie was still on, his hair slightly damp like he’d washed his face one too many times. There was something taut about him, like a wire pulled too tight. Nora pushed herself up, the blanket sliding down her arms. “Why are you awake?” Jaden hesitated. That alone told her everything. “You got another message,” she said. It wasn’t a question. His jaw flexed. “Yeah.” Her stomach dropped. “What did it say?” He crossed the room and sat on the edge
THE ART OF FALLING The Moment Everyone Saw
Chapter 60 The first scream cut through the quad just after noon. It wasn’t loud at first, more shocking than loud, but it was enough to snap heads in every direction. Nora was halfway down the steps outside the student union when it happened, her fingers still curled around her phone, her mind elsewhere. Then someone shouted her name. “Nora!” She froze. That was her first mistake. The crowd reacted before she could. People turned. Phones lifted. Whispers rippled outward like wildfire. Jaden was only a few feet behind her. “Don’t move,” he said quickly, his voice low and urgent. “Stay right there.” But it was already too late. A girl pushed through the crowd, face pale, shaking, holding her phone like it was burning her palm. “Is this true?” the girl blurted, voice cracking. “Is this you?” Nora didn’t understand at first. She looked down at the screen and the world tilted. A photo. Her. Not fully nude but intimate enough. Cropped. Blurry. Clearly taken without her cons
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