Kelvin met my eyes and finally backed off.His eyes reddened. "Zoey, I'm not giving up on you. I'll wait as long as it takes."I didn't answer.I turned and followed Mr. Carter into the school.Kelvin's stare stayed on my back, heavy as chains.But from this moment on, I knew he'd never hold me down again.***Kelvin didn't fly back to Carmoria. He rented a place nearby.Every day, he waited outside Alderwood Institute. No drama, no big scene—just enough to keep people talking.I didn't care. I buried myself in the program, learning new teaching methods from local educators and swapping stories with other teachers. My days were packed, and honestly, it felt good.Then one day, I stumbled across one of Paige's posts.She'd uploaded a photo of Kelvin cooking.[Thank you, Kelvin. Even in a foreign country, I still get to enjoy food from home. Having you here makes me feel so safe.]In the photo, Kelvin stood in the kitchen wearing an apron, his eyes soft as he cooked.It was
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