He Didn’t Kidnap Me. Not Exactly novel Chapter 162

Chapter 162

The thought settled heavily inside me. A few moments later I left before the performer could begin another trick.

The distraction had worked. Unfortunately, it had also failed. Because while my mind had briefly wandered elsewhere, it had still found its way back to the exact same person and the same problem.

Typical.

I had eventually gone to school for classes but had endured through it all

Now it was midday and classes had ended several moments ago for which I had spent extra time walking around. I wanted him to be gone by the time I got back to the apartment. I didn’t want to meet him along the way because that would hurt more.

But some minutes later I checked my phone for time and then my stamina battery, for which both of them suggested I hit home before I collapsed.

Exhaustion has caught up to me as my feet hurt. My head hurt. My entire existence hurt.

Eventually, my feet took me back to the apartment building, and I found myself standing outside it with my hands shoved into my pockets.

For a few seconds, I simply stared up at the familiar structure, as though delaying the inevitable might somehow make it easier. It didn’t.

The stair climb felt longer and more tiring than usual, and by the time I stepped into the hallway leading to the apartment, I could already feel that old tension returning. Part of me dreaded finding the place empty. Another part dreaded finding evidence that he’d been there and left. Neither option felt particularly appealing.

When I finally unlocked the door and stepped inside, silence greeted me immediately. The apartment wasn’t completely dark, but it wasn’t alive either. There was no sound running in the background, no muffled clatter from the kitchen, no indication that anyone was moving about.

For a moment I simply stood there with my keys still in my hand, listening to the quiet and wondering why it felt so heavy.

Maybe because it reminded me of everything that had been left unsaid. Or maybe because it reminded me of everything we’d failed to fix. Either way, I was very tired. So I closed the door behind me and headed toward the hallway, already thinking about my room, my bed, and the possibility of hiding beneath a blanket until reality became someone else’s problem.

Then a door opened.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify