Pov: Jules
I lay in the dark, staring at the ceiling and listening to the faint creaks and groans of the building settling around me. Sleep wasn't happening. Not even close.
Maybe it was the new environment, the way the room felt unfamiliar and too quiet. Or maybe it was because I'd slept half the day away yesterday. Whatever the reason, my brain had decided to stay wide awake and keep me company with a looping playlist of every awkward moment I'd had since arriving.
I turned over for the hundredth time, my blanket twisting around my legs like a stubborn seatbelt. Nathan's bed was still empty.
I glanced at the clock on my phone. 2:47 a.m. Where was he?
Not that it mattered, I told myself. Nathan could do whatever he wantedâit wasn't like we were friends. But there was something about the emptiness of his side of the room that bugged me. Had he gone out with Finn? Did he even sleep in his dorms? Or was he the type of person who just disappeared when they felt like it?
By 3 a.m., I couldn't take it anymore. The walls felt like they were closing in, and I needed to get out. Grabbing my jacket and headphones, I slipped on my sneakers and tiptoed out of the room.
---
The campus was eerie at night, lit by a string of antique-style lamps that cast soft pools of light over the cobblestone paths. The air was sharp and cold, biting at my cheeks and making me wish I'd grabbed a scarf.
Music filled my ears, soft and moody, as I wandered aimlessly. The lyrics blurred into the quiet crunch of gravel under my feet. The world felt smaller at this hour, like it was just me and the trees swaying gently in the wind.
After a while, I found myself at a tucked-away bench near the edge of campus. It was old, the wood weathered and cracked in places, but sturdy enough. It sat under an archway of vines that had grown wild over the years, twisting around the nearby fence. The area smelled faintly of damp leaves and earth, and the shadows from the lamplight made everything look softer, less real.
I sank onto the bench, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it with shaking fingers. The first drag calmed my nerves a little, the smoke curling up into the night air like a whispered secret.
---
As the music played, my mind drifted.
I thought about the guys I'd met on the floor yesterdayâthe way they'd laughed and joked, completely at ease with one another. They didn't even know me, but somehow, I'd ended up being
the centre of their attention, like some odd novelty they couldn't quite figure out. It wasn't bad exactly, but it had left me feeling... off.
And then there was Harper. Effortless, confident Harper, who'd walked into my space like she belonged there and made me laugh without even trying. I didn't know what to make of her yet, but I liked herâprobably more than I wanted to admit.
The problem with liking people was that it usually ended badly. Katie had taught me that. She'd been my Harper once, the person who made me feel like I wasn't alone until she didn't.
I shook the thought away and took another drag, letting the smoke settle in my lungs.
My thoughts turned to Juno. I missed his soft fur and the way he'd curl up next to me whenever I couldn't sleep, purring like he was trying to chase my bad dreams away. He'd been my constant through everythingâKatie, the move, and now this.
Do you miss me too, buddy? I thought, picturing his round green eyes and floppy ears.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket, scrolling through old photos until I found one of him sprawled out on my bed at home, belly up and paws in the air. The sight of him made my chest ache.
The cigarette burned down to its filter, and I crushed it out against the edge of the bench. The night felt colder now, the kind of cold that seeped into your bones and made you want to curl up under a blanket with a hot drink.
I stood up, brushing off the back of my sweatpants, and shoved my hands into my pockets.
The walk back to the dorm was slower, my steps dragging against the gravel. I didn't want to go back to that too-quiet room, but I didn't have anywhere else to be.
The building was just as silent as I'd left it, the hallways dimly lit and empty. When I opened the door to my room, the sight of Nathan's still-empty bed greeted me like a reminder of everything I didn't know.
I crawled under my blanket, the smell of smoke still clinging to my jacket, and stared up at the ceiling. Tomorrow would be better. It had to be.
ââââââ-
A/N
I love Juno, I just love cats in general.
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