Chapter 160

Each word landed in her chest like a slow and heavy thud. "So… you still remember me." Sebastian had fallen asleep, but Valeria hadn't. She switched on the living room's air-conditioner and fetched a blanket to drape over him. She sat on the carpet, wrapping her knees with her arms and leaning against the couch. Every so often, she could hear him murmuring her name in his drunken sleep. He had called her Valeria. He had also called her Jane. Apart from Margaret, she had hardly heard anyone call her "Jane" in the past seven years. Valeria had never fully let go of the person she was seven years ago, but hearing Sebastian call her "Jane" again felt almost like a dream. … That night, she drifted in and out of sleep, as if she had been transported back in time. She was walking along the narrow path behind the school. Sebastian was ahead, and she followed a few steps behind. The weather was cold, and she blew into her palms for warmth. The following day was her birthday. She had n