(Michelle's POV)
Winter break officially began with birds chirping outside my window, sunlight hitting my face, and a single, unchanging thought:
I have… something with Steven today.
Not a date.
Totally not a date.
Absolutely not—
I sat up in bed.
Oh no.
It felt like a date.
And once that idea entered my head, it refused to leave. It stretched itself, made a cup of coffee, and settled in for the day like a smug little roommate.
I groaned and flopped back onto the bed.
Thirty-year-old me would've handled this calmly. Gracefully. Rationally.
Eighteen-year-old me (who was apparently steering the ship now) felt like a squirrel having a nervous breakdown.
I checked my phone.
One message from Steven.
Steven:
What time are you free today?
Short. Direct. Him.
I replied:
Michelle:
After lunch?
Then realized—
Lunch with Mom and Dad on weekends was basically law in our household, and breaking it would launch questions I did not want to answer.
Another buzz.
Steven:
