The 18th Shade Of Summer (Fractured Script Series #1)

CHAPTER 16

Akiro didn’t stay long that evening. He left just after dinner, Still, I tried to focus on my notes. I sat at my desk with a pen in hand, rereading the same line over and over again. The words blurred, and my mind drifted to the apartment next door.

Music played faintly through the wall. It shifted between moods—some soft Japanese ballads, the occasional upbeat English song, then quiet piano pieces with no words at all. It wasn’t loud enough to distract me, but loud enough to remind me he was still there. And that was enough to keep me going.

Somewhere between memorizing formulas and rewriting notes, I realized I didn’t want to fall asleep. Not yet. I was scared the music would stop. Scared that the next time I opened my eyes, he’d be gone.

Before going to bed, I scribbled a quick note on a small piece of paper and stepped out into the hallway. I taped it gently to his door.

“Please be careful.”

I didn’t know if he’d even see it.

Back in my room, I lay down and let the music guide my breathing. I hummed quietly to myself, trying to follow the tune. Maybe if I hummed long enough, I wouldn’t fall asleep.

But I did.

And when I woke up, the music was gone.

The sunlight had already crept into my room, spilling across the floor and warming my blanket. I blinked, adjusting to the light. But I didn’t move.

I just lay there.

No guitar. No soft beats from next door. Just the sound of morning—cars in the distance, a dog barking somewhere, maybe the traitor Hansel. But none of it was him.

I didn’t rush to get up. What was the point if he was already gone?

Eventually, I pulled myself out of bed. I didn’t check the mirror, didn’t fix my hair. I just walked barefoot to the door and stepped into the hallway, still wearing the oversized shirt I slept in.

I stood in front of his door. Frowning. The note I left was gone. There wasn’t one left for me.

That made it worse somehow.

I leaned my forehead against the wood, closed my eyes, and let the silence settle in my chest like a weight.

Why didn’t you even say goodbye?

I stayed there, motionless. Long enough for my breathing to even out. Long enough to start convincing myself he really was gone.

But then—I felt the door shift.

It opened.

I lost balance from leaning too hard, but before I could fall, an arm caught me.

I looked up.

It was him. Akiro.

“Elaine,” he said, his voice still a little groggy, like he hadn’t slept much either. One side of his headset was in his ear.

Without thinking, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him tightly.

“I thought you’d leave me without saying goodbye,” I said. My voice cracked halfway through the sentence. I didn’t even care.

He pulled back just enough to meet my eyes.

“I was just about to stick a note on your door,” he said gently.

I let go of the hug, but my hands stayed near his sides like I wasn’t ready to fully let go. He reached into his pocket, took my left hand, and placed a small green sticky note in it. Then he took my other hand and closed it around the note. His palms stayed over mine.