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“You don’t need to apol—oh! Why aren’t you wearing any shoes?”
“I was in a rush?”
Summer looks at me strangely and I give her a rueful shrug. Thankfully, she lets it slide.
“Come on then. You’re overdue for your medication.”
As soon as Summer says that, it’s like a switch has been flicked. My calm dissipates and my skin becomes engulfed by flames. The walls of the library, my safe haven, shrink and close in on me, and my breath comes in snatches.
“Hey, MT, it’s okay. Breathe. Breathe. I’ll get you home. Come on.” She loops her arm through mine and tugs me along.
Outside, it gets worse. Lessons have finished and the quad is heaving. There’s people everywhere, and it feels like we’re fighting against the tide to try and head back to the girl’s dorms. Summer does a valiant job of shielding me from it all, but I long to be back in Bhodi’s arms and carried through the chaos instead.
Internally, I retreat into that safe space.
“Here. Made it. Gosh, that seemed busier than normal, didn’t it? MT? Malia? MALIA!”
I blink and I’m surprised to find myself standing in my bedroom.
“Huh?”
“You have a delivery.” Summer nods to the small white box with a blue bow that she’s holding. When I don’t move to take it from her she huffs, her patience wearing thin, and thrusts it into my hands. “You open that while I sort your meds.”
I look down at the box and admire the teal bow. It kind of matches my hair. I undo the bow and open the top of the box. Nestled inside on a bed of white tissue paper is a muffin. The muffin, I should say.
A slow grin stretches across my face and Summer spits it straight away.
“What’s got you smiling?”
“Nothing.”
“What’s in the box then?”
“Just a cake.”
“The campus coffee shop delivers now, does it?” she asks, suspicious. I shrug and she huffs even louder than she did before. Summer is exasperated with me. I understand her huffs and mumbles like a second language. I don’t mind Summer being mad at me because her moods are never accompanied by pain. Now, if either of my parents had ever made that sound…
“Fine. Don’t tell me. I have to get to class so I’ve left your tablets on the side. Take them. I’ll be back tonight to give you the others. Get some studying done and wash your damn feet.”
She flounces out of the room without a backward glance, slamming the door shut behind her. But she’ll calm down. She always does.
My phone vibrates and I pull it out.
Cove is calling me.
“Hello?” I can hear the smile in my own voice as I put him on speaker and put the phone on my bedside table.
“Did you get it?”
“I did. Thank you. My friend almost stepped on it, but it survived.” I climb onto my bed and sit cross-legged to talk to him.
“Good. If she’d crushed it, I would have had to bring mine over because I purchased the last two in the shop.”
“You’d do that for me?” I ask, tempted to tell him the cake got crushed, just so I can see him again.
“I would…”
“But?” I prompt. I can’t stop smiling. Is this flirting? Am I flirting? Why is my pulse fluttering?
