99 Times Repeated, Not Once Did They Say I Love You Chapter 09

99 Times Repeated, Not Once Did They Say I Love You Chapter 09

After I finished checking in, I went to the dorm.

The small four-person room was already crowded.

All three roommates had arrived, and their parents were helping them make their beds.

I said hi and started unpacking too, but I was the last one there.

By the time they’d settled in and their parents left, I was only halfway done.

The room suddenly felt empty.

When I finished putting my things away, my roommates still hadn’t come back.

I figured they’d gone out to dinner with their families, so I grabbed my things and got ready to head to the

dining hall alone.

I’d barely reached the door when it swung open.

All three of them were standing there.

It turned out, they’d only gone downstairs to see their parents off.

One of them grinned. “The first meal of the semester has to be a room dinner.”

They dragged me to the dining hall with so much enthusiasm that I never got the chance to say no.

I found out later that they’d rushed back on purpose so I wouldn’t have to face the first night alone.

A warmth I couldn’t name spread through my chest.

It felt good to have someone thinking of me.

After orientation, I heard that Silas and Maeve had both gone to a regular state school.

The word was that Silas’s scores could have gotten him into a better school, but when Maeve’s application

fell through, he gave up his spot to stay with her.

Not having to run into them took half the weight off my shoulders.

I adjusted to college life quickly. Every day, I was either in class or buried in the library.

I also found a part-time job tutoring students who were prepping for their exams.

My roommates liked to joke that I was a full-time library gremlin.

They weren’t wrong.

I had fought so hard to get to college. Of course, I treasured the life I had.

Three whole months passed that way, and then Seraphine came to visit.

A girl at Dreadmoor Pack had a gift for music, and a family wanted to sponsor her music education.

Seraphine came to see their home and talk with them in person. She stopped by to see me while she was at

I picked her up at the train station and took her straight to a hotel.

At the entrance, she held me back. “This place has to cost a fortune for one night. I don’t need anywhere this

nice. A cheap motel is fine.”

I shook my head. “No. Don’t worry about the money. I can afford it. You’re staying here, and you’re going to

get some real rest.”

Seraphine couldn’t out-argue me, and in the end she gave in.

Once she’d taken care of her business, I took her shopping.

I picked out a few outfits and nudged her toward the fitting room to try them on.

Then I turned around and saw my mother.

She was clutching a pale blue dress, exactly the kind Maeve always loved. She was probably picking it out

for her.

I looked away, pretended I hadn’t seen her, and got ready to leave.

But as we passed each other, I heard her ask quietly, “Do you really hate me that much?”