A Night of Terrors
Mila couldn’t sleep a wink until dawn, with the lights in her room burning all night long.
Early morning.
She descended to the first floor, her eyes shadowed with dark circles. Forrest, emerging from the kitchen, paused at the sight of her, his gaze lingering on the faint bruising under her eyes, but he didn’t pry.
“Mimi, why don’t you catch a bit more sleep?” he suggested gently as he set the freshly made breakfast on the table. “I couldn’t make your favorite hashbrowns since we’re out of potatoes, but I did whip up some cinnamon pastries for you.”
Mila always had a penchant for sweet, sticky fried foods for breakfast, especially the lighter hashbrowns. It surprised her that, after all these years, Forrest still remembered. Reflecting on the past seven years, she realized that because Lysander and Adrian favored spicy foods, her preferences were often overlooked at home, except by Felicity.
A mix of emotions stirred within her.
Forrest returned from the kitchen with a steaming cup of sweet soy milk for her and, after removing his apron, sat down across from her with his own coffee and a plate of sandwiches.
They sat facing each other, eating breakfast, a scene so familiar it whisked Mila back to their university days.
Back then, Forrest was a senior at Northpoint University, a direct-entry PhD student and a renowned prodigy in the computer sciences; Mila was just a freshman, fresh from her hometown to Kingsford. Their worlds should never have collided, yet they met by chance.
Their shared academic interests led Mila to seek his guidance frequently, and Forrest always showed patience. Over time, they grew close, often working on projects together and sharing countless meals.
The overlap of past and present blurred Mila’s reality, making her feel as if she were still in university—before everything changed so dramatically.
“Mimi? Mimi?”
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