The App That Failed, The Love That Never Was Chapter 07

The App That Failed, The Love That Never Was Chapter 07

After two days resting in my apartment, I headed to the summer job my advisor had arranged: the

niversity library.

Two other girls were already hard at work, and they greeted me warmly.

My advisor smiled and handed me a mask and a pair of work gloves. “We have mountains of old books and archives that need sorting and refiling. It’s heavy work, so I hired several of you incoming students to tackle it together. You get daily pay plus a meal stipend. Take care not to

overexert yourselves.”

The library was closed to visitors for summer break. Only the three of us occupied the huge

building.

We sorted books while listening to music and chatting, the atmosphere relaxed and easygoing.

One girl was Lucie, bright and outgoing. The other was Serena, quiet, steady, and perceptive.

Growing up in that toxic household, I’d grown reserved and withdrawn. I barely had any friends

back then.

Classmates would make after–school plans and never invite me. Sylvie, by contrast, was always

surrounded by friends, her weekends packed with activities.

Now that I was finally out, I relaxed completely. To my surprise, I turned out to be pretty good at telling jokes, making them laugh until they doubled over.

When we finished for the afternoon, the three of us would shop for groceries at the nearby supermarket, then gather at one another’s apartments to bake pizza and fry fries. After dinner, we

huddled together playing Switch, staying up deep into the night.

Long before the semester started, the three of us had formed a bond deeper than I’d thought

possible. Lucie and Serena were already looking at apartments next to mine, determined that we wouldn’t have to live apart again.

As happy days stretched on, I finally understood: making friends was nowhere near as hard as I’d imagined. My life could be soft and uncomplicated. My old household had left me hypervigilant and

closed–off.

One night we had a sleepover at Serena’s. Over drinks and snacks, I told them the whole story of the household booking app.

Lucie was furious, cursing my parents as monsters. She joked about booking a flight just to confront them herself. She took boxing classes in her spare time; when she flexed and shadowboxed for effect, she looked convincingly intimidating, making me laugh.

Serena listened silently, then reached for my hand. “Nalani, knowing what your parents are capable of, I’m afraid they might show up on campus.‘

the paused and went on. “If you want, I can ask my family’s attorney to help you set up legal safeguards–a legal name change, updated emergency contacts and a formal no–contact notice.”

I looked at them—one furious on my behalf, the other calmly planning ahead, both genuinely looking out for me. A knot I hadn’t realized I was holding finally loosened in my chest.

“Okay. Let’s do it,” I nodded firmly with a smile.

I was so grateful. Far from home, I had finally found people who met my honesty with their own. No

more lying awake, heartbroken and hopeless, waiting for a dawn that would never come.