(Michelle Lui's POV)
I woke up before my alarm again.
Not from anxiety.
Not from dread.
Just… awake.
Soft morning light spilled across my room, hitting the edge of my vanity and bouncing onto my bed. It felt peaceful. Clean. Like the air itself had decided not to weigh on me too much today.
I laid there for a minute, breathing quietly.
Today was going to be complicated.
Lara would be in physics lecture.
The whole class would be there.
Whatever happened on Friday — the heartbreak, the accusations, the breaking point — would echo through the room like a ghost.
I knew that.
And yet…
A steadiness sat beneath my ribs.
Steven asked to pick me up this morning.
No expectations.
No pressure.
Just—to walk with me.
And somehow that knowledge settled everything inside me.
--
(Getting ready)
I took extra time dressing today.
Not because I wanted to impress him.
(Not only because of that, anyway.)
But because I wanted to feel put together.
Protected.
