جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 40

~~~Soraya~~~The penthouse was too quiet, so quiet. Everything still felt unreal, it happened so fast. I picked up my phone and the message from Declan was still open, the words burning into my retinas as I read it over and over. Maya had left an hour ago after making sure I ate something and promising to come back in the evening. She had hugged me tight before she left, whispering that we would figure this out.But how? Declan was gone.The contract was broken.The sponsors had made it clear, the deal was terminated. The debt relief was clawed back. My family’s medical bills were once again our problem. And the boy I let my guard down for, the one I let myself fall for, has chosen to walk away without a proper goodbye.I pulled my knees to my chest, Declan’s oversized hoodie still wrapped around me. It smelled like him. Ice and cologne and the faint trace of the detergent he used. I buried my face in the fabric and let the tears come again. They were quieter this time. Exhaustion had

Soraya’s POVCaleb’s words hung in the air like a lifeline I wasn’t sure I wanted to grab.“You don’t have to do this alone.” I stood in the middle of the plaza, the sponsor’s building looming behind me, the weight of twenty-four hours pressing down on my shoulders. The penthouse, the one place that had started to feel like a strange kind of home was no longer mine. In less than a day, I would be back in the dorms, surrounded by gossips and judgment. I'd be back to being just another student trying to survive. Caleb waited patiently, his Blades practice bag slung over his shoulder, his expression surprisingly gentle. He wasn’t smirking like he had on the ice. There was no cocky flirtation in his eyes right now. Just quiet concern.“I know it’s a lot,” he said softly. “But my apartment is off campus. Private. No one would bother you there. You could have your own room. No strings. I promise.”I looked at him, searching for any sign of ulterior motives. Caleb had been bold on the ice,

~~~Soraya~~~The whiskey burned less with every sip.I sat on Caleb’s couch, legs tucked under me, the glass cool in my hand. The apartment was quiet except for the low hum of the city outside the windows and the occasional clink of ice as Caleb poured us another round. The room had started to tilt gently, like a boat on calm water. My head felt lighter. The sharp edges of the pain in my chest had dulled into something distant and manageable.Caleb sat beside me, his arm draped casually along the back of the couch. Not touching me, but close enough that I could feel his presence. He had been a surprisingly good listener tonight, asking gentle questions, nodding at the right moments, never pushing too hard.“You’ve been carrying a lot,” he said, refilling my glass with a steady hand. “An only child, no siblings to turn to, not even cousins of your age, just doing it all alone, you really are a SAVAGE.”I let out a sharp breath, and then took another sip. The whiskey warmed my throat an

~~~Soraya~~~The morning light pierced through the hotel curtains like a knife.I woke up with a pounding headache and a mouth that tasted like regret. The room spun slowly as I sat up, the sheets tangling around my legs. My body felt heavy, my mind foggy from the whiskey I had drowned myself in the night before. The events of yesterday came rushing back in fragments, the sponsor’s call, the twenty four hour eviction notice, Caleb’s apartment, the drinks, Maya storming in like a force of nature.I groaned, pressing my palms to my temples. The bed was comfortable, but it wasn’t mine. Nothing felt like mine anymore.Maya was already awake, sitting in the armchair by the window with a cup of coffee in her hands. She looked up when she heard me move, her expression soft with concern.“Morning,” she said quietly. “How are you feeling?”“Like I made a huge mistake,” I muttered, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. The floor was cold under my feet. “My head is killing me. And my heart…

~~~Soraya~~~The movers came at exactly 5 p.m.I watched two men in matching polos carry out the couch Declan and I used to fall asleep on, and I didn't cry. I told myself that was progress. Maya stood beside me with her arms crossed, glaring at them like it was their fault, like they were the ones who'd ended everything and not just the ones hired to clean up after it.By six, the penthouse was empty. By seven, so was i.We loaded what was left of my life into the back of Maya's car two suitcases, a box of books, the blanket that still smelled like Declan's cologne no matter how many times I told myself to throw it out. I didn't throw it out. I folded it and put it on top so it wouldn't get crushed, and I hated myself a little for that."You don't have to go back tonight," Maya said, watching me in the rearview mirror. "You can stay at mine. Give it a few days.""Victoria said the dorm room's already assigned. If I don't show up they'll give it to someone else and I'll have nowhere."