Tyler wouldn’t just…leave, would he? He wouldn’t abandon me in a hotel room on prom night.
He wouldn’t do that.
He loves me.
I slowly make my way out of the bathroom and sit at the foot of the bed. Surely I’m missing or forgetting something. This is simply a misunderstanding, and he’ll be right back.
He loves me.
I know he does.
He’ll be back.
Friday, October 24, 2025
“I can’t believe Wren and Caleb are getting here while I’m in class,” I grumble, pouting on the couch.
“That just means they’ll be here waiting for you when you get back,” Theo says between bites of cereal. “They’ll be here all weekend.”
“I know, but it means I won’t get to hear Wren’s first impressions of our dorm. And I might miss the introductions between Wren, Max, and Vimlesh.”
Theo chuckles. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Fuck it, I’m skipping class,” I declare. “I’ve only missed my lab once so far this semester.”
“Oliver, that’s not a good idea,” Theo warns. “It’s seriously not a big deal.”
“It’s settled. I’m skipping.”
Theo rolls his eyes. “Whatever, dude. It’s your GPA.”
Wren is driving up from Savannah for Grace’s Halloween party tomorrow, so they decided to make a weekend of it byspending time with as many of us as possible. They’re picking up Caleb from Specter right now, even though it’s a bit of a detour, and are eager to catch up on the ride to The Village. Sadly, we weren’t able to get the whole crew here for the party—Elise couldn’t get time off from work, and Freddy’s in the middle of soccer season at his university. But it’s still exciting to have Caleb, Wren, and Harrison stay with us.
“Oh, did you talk to Max and Vimlesh about Harry sleeping in the living room?” I ask.
Theo nods. “Yeah, Vimlesh said he didn’t mind, and Max said the more the merrier.”
I grin. Classic. “Is Vimlesh coming to the party?”
“Yep!”
“Hell yeah,” I say with a grin. “I can’t wait to see what costume he’s wearing.”
“I didn’t tell him he had to,” Theo reminds me. “Grace said that costumes are optional.”
“Yeah, but who doesn’t wear a costume to a Halloween party?”
“Someone who doesn’t like dressing up?”
“Ugh. Lame. What are you and Caleb doing, again?”
Theo chews and swallows before answering. “Heartstopper.He’s Nick, I’m Charlie.”
“God, that’s so disgustingly cute,” I groan. “You’re going to make Grace cry.”
“I know,” Theo says with a smirk. “I can’t wait.”
The sound of a bedroom door opening catches our attention, so we turn to see Max entering the kitchen, donning his striped multi-colored housecoat.
