Page 70 of Before Dawn

His face contorted with pain. “That’s not true. I love you, Abigail. I need you.”

My tears spilled over. “You love the thought of me. You’ve never loved me and you never will.”

He reached out, and I took another step back, the distance between us growing. “Please,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “Don’t leave me.”

The final boarding call for my flight echoed through the terminal, each word a dagger to my heart. I wiped my tears, steeling myself. “Goodbye, Joshua.”

“Abigail, please!” he shouted, but I turned away, every step forward breaking my heart a little more.

I handed my boarding pass to the attendant, my hands shaking, and glanced back one last time to see him standing there, utterly defeated, the wilted lilies discarded at his feet. He didn’t deserve me, and with that thought, I boarded the flight with absolutely no regrets.

Stepping off the flight, I let out a relieved sigh. After what felt like an eternity of cramped seats and endless delays, I was finally free. Surprisingly, the videos Mikkel had sent helped keep me calm for most of the flight—soothing nature clips, ASMR-style rain sounds, and a guided breathing exercise.

I booked an Uber and headed straight to the apartment, grateful Emilia had handled everything while I was away.

When I arrived, I spotted her in the lobby, holding her curly-haired son.

“Abigail! Hey! Sorry, his babysitter canceled.”

I smiled, approaching them. “Emilia, there’s no need to apologize. Plus, he’s just so adorable.”

She grinned. “Thank you. How was your trip?”

“It was fine, but I’m happy to be here.”

She handed me three swipe passes. “These are the smart passes for your apartment. There are also keys if you’d rather use those.”

I took them with a grateful nod and stepped inside, immediately noticing the neatly arranged boxes. Emilia had already taken care of everything.

“Thank you, you’re a lifesaver.”

“It’s my job,” Emilia replied, handing me a folder. “This document includes your lease details and important contact numbers. If you ever need anything at all, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.”

I thanked her again before calling my parents to let them know I’d landed and settled. After that, I rang Azzaria, who immediately offered to help me unpack. We hung up, and I texted her the address before notifying the lobby she’d be arriving soon.

With a moment to breathe, I unlocked my phone and opened Instagram. While I knew Mikkel and I would exchange numbers and meet up eventually, I was enjoying our flirty chats and the way he took his time getting to know me.

I hesitated, then tapped on our messages. He was online.

My stomach fluttered.

me:Hey, I’m all settled

@mikkelsuarezofficial:Perfect. How was the flight?

me:The flight was good and your videos helped! Thank you, again.

@mikkelsuarezofficial:I’m happy they did, and you’re always welcome.

My stomach did a little flip. The way he said things always felt personal, even over text. Like he meant them.

@mikkelsuarezofficial:You already found a place already, right?

me:I did.

@mikkelsuarezofficial reacted to this message.

@mikkelsuarezofficial:What’s on the agenda for the rest of the day?

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