Page 40 of Our Little Moments

I smile. If there’s one thing I can guarantee, it’s that when I give my word, I keep it. “I promise you, Layla.”

She takes a deep breath, dropping her pen on the bed to look into my eyes.

“I can’t write, Stella. I’ve been stuck ever since my first book. My siblings keep teasing me about writing taking me so long, but Ican’t write. Not a single word. I’ve been stuck with writer’s block for almost a year now, and it justwon’t go away.”

“Layla, that says nothing about you or your writing. It’s a normal thing to go through.”

She groans. “Yeah, I know that, but I hate it so much.”

“Then I’ll hate it with you.”

She grins up at me, and I know this will be a long night.

Chapter 16

Adrian

This morning, I’m determined to make a change. To stop trying to take care of everyone around me—to take a day for myself.

Except when I step outside my house and into the town’s streets, it fully hits me how much easier it is said than done. The shops slowly open all around me, everything waking up for a new day.

My feet stop, and my hands ball into fists.I need to do something to help.

It’s the only thought in my head, over and over.

The urge to take care of everyone makes my heart pound. Fuck, I’d never realized just how strong the desire was until I decided to try and rise above it.

Trying to put myself first is going to be even harder than I thought.

I wish the streets were quieter. The noise makes my anxiety peak, like everyone is seeing me and telling me to come lend a hand.

The cooking.

The voices.

The chairs moving.

The doors opening.

The fucking footsteps.

It’sunbearable. I need to get away from everything.

I walk faster to get to higher ground, to get back to the mountains. To some quiet.

Every step away from the busy streets makes freedom feel within reach. When I reach trails in the mountains and the noise fades away, a smile breaks through. I did it. Iwalked away. It may not seem like much to most, but it means the world to me. It’s progress, even if it’s small. I didn’t step into my caretaker role like I always do for thefirst time.

I lean against a tree as I look at my town, at the one place in the world that feels like home. Every building, every person, everything seems smaller. I can breathe a little easier.

I keep walking the trails, my confidence growing with every minute spent here. I can do this. I can try to change. I can live a little more for myself.

When I’m certain I will be able to say no, I return to the streets, where the real challenge resides. My shoulders curl in as I feel everyone’s eyes on me, like a silent call for my help.

No. You say no. Remember that. Stick with it.

I wave at the people I pass by, but still walk past the shops, a quiet way of saying I am not coming in to help this time.

Except, when Julian comes out of his restaurant, breathing heavily and his eyes searching his surroundings frantically, I rush to his side without a second thought.

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