5

I wait for the phone to stop vibrating and his name to disappear from the screen, and all the while, it feels like I’m in a fishbowl. My name is called somewhere in the distance, but it doesn’t reach me completely as I keep my focus on the device. I feel like it’s mocking me. Taunting me. Telling me that I’ll cave.

“Kayla!” Rae snaps her fingers in front of my face, and I whip my head back up.

“What?” I ask, dazed, before I plaster a smile on my face that is fake as hell.

She tilts her head, her brown eyes looking at me with apprehension. “Are you okay?”

Glancing down, I notice my phone has stopped ringing, his name now replaced by a one missed call.

My shoulders relax, my fake smile still in place. “Yeah, of course. It’s just someone from Stanford. Just hard now that I’m gone.”

“Ah.” Her hand lands on my leg. “I’m sorry, Keeks. It will get better.”

“I know.” I push my dark thoughts away. “At least now I get to work for KPI. Who knows? Maybe it will be the best decision I ever made leaving Stanford. Thank you, cous.”

“You’re welcome. Just don’t screw it up.”

“I won’t.” Or at least, I hope.