I stood outside the rubble that used to be my house, the weight of it pressing down harder than any bulldozer could.No home, no plan.
For a long time, I just stood there. Then, like a whisper in the wind, I remembered the woman from yesterday — the one who had given me her contact card. "Contact me if you need any help," she had said.
I had hesitated, chewing the inside of my cheek. Asking for help wasn't exactly something I was good at .But this wasn't about pride anymore — it was survival.
My hands trembled slightly as I called the number. She answered on the first ring. After explaining everything — the demolition, my eviction — she didn't even hesitate. "Stay with me," she said warmly. "I'll come pick you up."
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When Idalia's car pulled up, I climbed in with a duffel bag that carried everything I owned.The drive was silent except for the hum of the engine and the sound of my heart thudding against my ribs.
When we pulled into her driveway, my jaw dropped.Her house was massive — gleaming windows, polished wood, tall archways that made me feel like I had stumbled into another world.
"Come in, sweetheart," she said, ushering me inside.I stepped into a grand living room that smelled like vanilla and something rich, like old books and leather.And then —there he was.
Sitting on the couch, completely bare-chested, was a boy about my age — messy dark hair, sharp jawline, and a grin that made my heart trip over itself.Heat rushed to my face before I could even pretend to look away.I quickly masked it with my usual scowl.Arrogance was my armor. I wasn't about to look like some helpless fool.
"Ren, go put on a shirt, would you?" Idalia said, laughing as she headed toward the kitchen.
Ren.
The name felt like a slap.I knew that face.
He stared at me too, his smirk faltering.There was a flicker of recognition in his eyes — the same boy who had barreled into me outside the hospital and refused to apologize.The same jerk I had chased down the street, only for him to leap over a dumpster like some wannabe action hero.He hadn't even said sorry.
''you—!" I blurted before I could stop myself.
He leaned back against the couch with that same cocky glint in his eye."You're the girl who tried to tackle me," he said, grinning wide now."I thought you were crazy."
I opened my mouth to retort, but no words came out.Crazy? He knocked me down first!
I couldn't believe this.Out of all the people in the city...I was going to be living with this jerk?
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the wildfire inside me.I could survive a demolished house.I could survive being homeless.I could survive anything...
Even if it meant living under the same roof as Ren.
Maybe.