a sun that never sets

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX | EPILOGUE

IN EVERY PERSON'S life, there were a few chapters that tended to stand out. When I'd arrived at Bridewater College four years ago, I'd told myself that I'd made sure these times here would be it for me.

I liked to think I'd succeeded.

The graduation ceremony was an absolute bore, but I stayed awake. There was adrenaline and fear coursing through my veins, and my mind felt like a hazy blur. I reached beside me, tightening my grip around Theo's hand and squeezing, as if to ground myself and remember that this was all real. That I was sitting in the great hall I'd attended assemblies in for the past few years, but instead of listening to them talk about next week's excitement or the latest achievements of my schoolmates, I was listening to the headmaster talk about the future. What we would face, as we turned and stepped out of the school gates for the last time. As we became alumnus rather than currently students.

As all of this, all of this, became just another piece of the past.

Theo squeezed back, offering me a concerned but understanding glance. I knew that underneath his calmness, he was just as freaked out as I was. Bridewater had become a safe haven for me, a home away from home, somewhere where I'd learnt to relax and let my guard down. The idea that I was going to leave, the idea that I wasn't going to be going back to my cosy little dorm room for a nap after this, but that instead my parents would be helping me haul all my luggage out, keeping some here in some storage service, bringing some back to Hong Kong for my flight in three days...

Dear god.

Last night, a bunch of us had met together at the rooftop. Someone had snuck in some alcohol—I was rather certain it was Audrey's girlfriend, and we'd all taken a few drinks. We all took care not to get drunk, since none of us had any interest in getting a hangover on the day of our graduation ceremony. And we all wanted to look picture perfect.

But a lot of words had been exchanged last night. Secrets never aired, embarrassing tales from years before, thoughts that we'd never told each other.

Audrey was going to the same university as me. She was studying Chemistry, because of course she was. We'd both already agreed that we'd start searching for an apartment to share, but for the first term both of us decided it would be wiser to live in our dorm rooms first. It'd help us settle in faster, and there'd be less things to worry about.

Louisa was going back to Hong Kong. Permanently. She and Alex broke up because of it, because neither of them thought they'd work long-distance. Alex was going to America. They were both still friends, and it was clear neither of them were over it. If they ever reunited—and from what Alex said, he was most likely heading back to Hong Kong after university, I thought they had a rather good chance of getting back together.

None of us had commented on it. Louisa was obviously affected, but she covered it up well enough that none of us felt like pointing it out.

We could all tell that she was heartbroken. Alex too. Alex even more so, actually.

But it was their problem, and we had enough faith in them to know that they'd somehow manage to sort it out.

That, in another world, might have been how Theo and I ended up.

But so far, we hadn't yet. And I knew I'd be treasuring every second we had together, no matter how many were left.

The headmaster finished his speech, tears in his eyes, and there was thunderous applause from everyone in the hall. I glanced back and caught a glimpse of my parents, leaning on each other. My mother was visibly trying not to sob, while my father desperately tried to calm her down.