#Chapter 126: Coffee and Confusion

Aurora POV The next week of classes feels like stepping into a whole new life. Every morning, when Luca picks me up and we drive across the city, I feel lighter. Brighter. Like I’m slipping into a version of myself I never thought I’d get the chance to meet. By the second week, the nerves of starting school have all but melted into excitement. I know where my classes are now. I’ve found my rhythm between lectures and notes, between raising my hand to ask questions and laughing when Maddie or Mariah whisper sarcastic commentary beside me. I grab coffee with Trevor before philosophy, I swap reading notes with Trevor in the library. For the first time in years, I feel like a real student. Just another girl on campus, juggling assignments, learning, connecting, being. It’s… exhilarating. Every time I walk past the bustling quads or sit in a classroom with twenty other people my age, I think: this was the best decision I’ve ever made. And I have Dominic to thank for it.