They Filled Her Suitcase And Emptied My Place In The Family Chapter 07

They Filled Her Suitcase And Emptied My Place In The Family Chapter 07

Boston in autumn is clear and crisp. A month into the semester, I’d settled in. No endless housework. No one telling me to give in to my sister. The physics program was demanding, but I thrived. I spent entire days in the library, ate the cheapest meal at the cafeteria. My world had become simple: equations, experiments, and the occasional call from my grandmother.

The people from Evanston felt like a long, dull nightmare-over and done.

On the eve of fall break, I left the library with a stack of textbooks. The ginkgo leaves by the Charles

River had turned yellow, falling in the wind.

“Vera!” Jenny Song ran up and hooked my arm. “The department welcome dinner is tonight! You

can’t miss it this time-the advisor wants to meet you.”

I smiled. “I’ll drop these off and come.”

Then I saw him.

Ethan stood by the ginkgo tree near my dorm. He wore a thin trench coat, thinner than a month ago, two large shopping bags at his feet-expensive supplements and electronics, from the logos. Girls walking past glanced at him. His eyes were fixed on me. The moment he saw me, they lit up. He

strode over.

“Vera.” His voice was hoarse, carrying a barely perceptible note of ingratiation.

Jenny Song looked between us. “Vera, who’s that?”

“Just an acquaintance from home,” I said calmly. “Go ahead. I’ll be right up.” She nodded and left.

Ethan’s face paled at acquaintance. But he swallowed his anger and pushed the bags toward me. “Vera, are you done yet? Do you know how worried your mom is?”

Still that condescending tone-as if his coming to me meant I should be grateful.

I didn’t take the bags. I didn’t even glance at them. “Can I help you?”

“You haven’t contacted home in a month! Your mom was so upset she ended up in the hospital.

Marcus has been looking everywhere for you. You can’t be this heartless, can you?”

“Hospital?” I laughed dryly. “Because she couldn’t get her laundry done? Or because Lily had no

one to wait on her?”

Ethan was struck speechless.

“Vera, you’ve changed. You were never this sharptongued.”

“Yeah.” I looked at him like a stranger. “I used to watch your face just to eat a shrimp that wasn’t peeled right.”

His hand shook. The bag rustled-a new laptop, and the desk lamp he’d put in Lily’s cart.

“Vera, I was careless before.” He softened his voice, reaching for my hand. “I bought you a new computer and a lamp. Come back with me-just apologize, and everything can be like it was before.”

I stepped back. “Ethan, don’t you understand? I don’t need a computer or a lamp. And we’re not close. Call me by my full name.”

His hand hung in the air, his face pale. He finally seemed to realize that the girl who used to follow him silently had died in that sweltering summer.

“What do you want me to do?” His voice cracked. “Tell me. What do I have to do to make you forgive me?”

“Stay away from me.” I turned and walked back to the dorm. No hesitation. No backward glance.