I hadn’t thought about it in years, not properly. Maybe because it had felt too pure to touch.
Maybe because every time I tried to explain it, words failed.
How do you describe the moment you realised the world would never look the same again?
I sat on my bed, reached for my sketchbook, opened it to a clean page, drew in a slow breath, and let my pencil flow over the virgin white surface. Lines, shading, the curve of a mouth half-smiling in concentration.
Theo’s mouth, older now, surer, but still carrying that same quiet focus that made the rest of the world blur.
My phone buzzed, and I glanced at it.
Raquel: Do I need to come find you?
I smiled and clicked on Call.
“Cameron Walters, you ghost,” Raquel said immediately. “Do you have any idea how long it’s been since you called the girl who saved you from eating school cafeteria lasagna four days in a row?”
I laughed. “Hey, Rocky.” I kept my voice low.
“Don’t you ‘hey, Rocky’ me. You vanish for months, I get a couple of texts, and now you sound…” She paused. “Suspiciously quiet.”
“It’s late. I’m being considerate.”
“Whereare you being considerate?” She paused. “Oh my God, have I interrupted a moment? You’re not alone, are you?”
“If you stop talking for more than a second, I’ll tell you. Okay, location first. I’m still in London.” I glanced at my surroundings. “Although not the same place.” Guilt flushed through me. I hadn’t texted her since…
The leather bar.
“That death-trap flat finally collapsed around your ears, didn’t it?”
“The landlord evicted us before we got to that point. I found somewhere new.”
“That quick? Impressive.” Another pause. “Wait. Why do you sound nervous?”
I looked toward the window. Lights from the street below flickered against the ceiling. “Because if I tell you where I’m staying—or who I’m staying with—you’ll make that noise.”
“The judgmental one or the excited one?”
“Both.”
“Spit it out.”
I hesitated, then said, “Okay. So… remember about a month ago when I told you I ran into Theo Sinclair?”
Raquel gasped so loudly I had to pull the phone away. “No. You’re kidding. You’re not serious.”
I grimaced. “Completely serious.”
“How did that happen?”
“It was Gary’s idea,” I said quickly. “It was a housing emergency, Theo had a spare room—well, technically a sofa bed—and he said yes.”
“Oh my God.” She was half laughing, half groaning. “You’re living with your teenage crush, and you’re telling me this as if it’s normal?”
“It’s… fine,” I lied. “Totally fine.”
Except right then it was anything but fine.