Chapter 6
Nicola took me to the room that was previously used by a volunteer. It wasn’t big, but it was a private room, and right across from it was Nicola’s own living space. The room had a desk and a private bathroom. I was more than satisfied.
I had expected it to be just a fixed bed, but it turned out O be a whole room.
Nicola seemed to sense the question I was about to ask and said directly, “This place was a joint venture between me and a friend. He put in quite a bit of money, but he asked for only a small share. His one condition was that we keep a separate room for him, in case he ever got kicked out of his house. Later, he had to go abroad for some personal matters, and he won’t be back for a while,
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so I’ve been using the room to improve the living conditions for the volunteers. A lot of volunteers come here feeling lost and aimless. While talking with people is a good way to vent, being around so many strangers for too long can be exhausting. It’s nice to have a space where you can be alone.”
I nodded, and somehow, Nicola seemed even more admirable to me. He was thoughtful and meticulous in his actions, making everything seem so well–organized.
“Go ahead and settle in,” he said. “I’ll send you a list of places where you can buy things. I noticed you didn’t bring much, and if you plan to stay here for a while and enjoy your time, you’ll need some essentials. I’ll send you a list of affordable places to shop.”
I nodded and thanked him.
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Chapter B
Nicola added me on messenger and went Out. Soon, I received the list he mentioned -clothing, food, accommodation, and transportation, everything was covered. No wonder his hostel had such high ratings, it was hard not to be impressed with this level of service
After tidying up a bit and changing into freshly disinfected bed sheets, I went out to buy the things I needed.
The weather in Asheville was pleasant, with flourishing flowers and a vibrant atmosphere in the air. My mood instantly lifted.
Ever since the unpleasant parting with my parents and encountering Lucas’s betrayal, I had been in a rush. But now, it felt like I was finally doing something for myself.
Looking back at the past few years, it
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Chapter 6
oints
seemed like I had always been living for others, always trapped in their evaluations. When I was young, I worked hard to earn my parents‘ praise, always yielding to my younger brother. As I grew older, I changed myself to fit Lucas’s image in order to make our relationship last, and later, at work, I wore myself out for the promises of benefits from my boss, nearly killing myself in the process. Even when I didn’t do things perfectly, I would fall into
self–doubt and completely deny myself. Looking back now, it seems
unnecessary.
I had been away for so long, and my parents had taken all my money without even asking if I was safe or had a place to go. Lucas, though he changed numbers and called, was still full of excuses, telling me not to make a scene he had just made a typical mistake that all men make. As for the company, not a single call came. They operated just fine
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Chapter 6
+ 5 Points
without me.
I chuckled bitterly. Now that I had figured it out, it was actually fine.
This 20,000 dollars would just be a final payment for the years of raising me. As for Lucas, our relationship was definitely over. I would just stay cold toward him.
Now, I was free. Let me enjoy these few days of leisure. As for whether I’d return to work afterward, I’d think about it when the time
came.
Life’s margin for error was much larger than I had thought.
With that realization, my mood brightened. I thought about the bouquet of flowers I hadn’t been able to give before leaving and felt a bit choked up.
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I found a flower shop and picked some flowers I liked. I originally planned to make a bouquet, but on a whim, I ended up making a flower crown for myself. Then I thought of Nicola and made one for him too.
Though his curiosity could be a bit overwhelming, asking questions that crossed the line for a stranger, if he hadn’t asked, I might still be avoiding confronting my own feelings. Plus, he had helped me with my accommodation, so I figured I
|
should give him a little gift. I thought he’d be happy about it.
When Nicola received the flower crown, he was genuinely delighted. As a thank–you, he personally cooked dinner for me. While we were eating, some of the other hostel guests came over, teasing us and suggesting we make a couple. Nicola, trying to shoo them
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away, turned to me and apologized, “Sorry about them. They’re just young and like to tease. Don’t mind them.”
I smiled, my eyes squinting with amusement. “It’s fine. It’s kind of fun.”
Nicola, who had been watching me, suddenly got lost in thought.
After a mo
he snapped back to reality,
looking flustered and pretending to be awkward, his movements exaggerated.
My smile grew. It was always funny when people got flustered.
After a bit of awkwardness, Nicola seemed to accept it and relaxed, leaning back against his chair. “Amelia, I feel like I’ve met you
before.”
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“I’m from City A too, so maybe we’ve crossed paths before.”
When Nicola mentioned he was from City A, I thought it was a coincidence, but when he brought it up, I went along with it.
Nicola stared at me blankly for a moment, as if deep in thought. Then, after some time, he snapped his fingers. “I know now.“”
“You were at the bank the day you flew in, weren’t you?”
I choked on my noodles in surprise. Panicking, I grabbed water to wash it down, but the harder I tried, the harder it was to swallow, and my face turned bright red.
Seeing my reaction, Nicola rushed over to help me, patting my back and handing me more water, looking like he might give me the
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Heimlich maneuver.
When I finally managed to swallow, we both sighed with relief and then burst into laughter.
After the laughter subsided, I wiped my eyes, still grinning. “I always thought life had no audience, but turns out there are spectators everywhere.”
“You were the one knocking on the glass door at the bank!” Nicola laughed. “I remember you now. At the time, I was kind of distracted, just noticing that you were tall and slim, but didn’t pay attention to your exact features.”
“That is quite a coincidence,” I said, chuckling. Nicola scratched his head as though remembering something. He got up and went to his room.
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When he returned, he placed a bank card in front of me. “Here, your card. It’s back in your hands.”
I stared at him in disbelief, and Nicola explained, “I was in a rush to get back to my company, and since the bank was on lunch break and no one was on duty, I just took it with me. I didn’t expect it to follow me all the way here.”
I took the card, surprised. “Seems like this card just doesn’t want to die. I almost wanted to cut it up and throw it away before.”
It’s been two days since I arrived, and I didn’t feel so angry anymore. After all, it was my card. Replacing it would only waste my time.
“You wouldn’t believe it, I said. “My parents took all the money from my card over four
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months to buy a house for my brother.”
“You didn’t know?”
“No. When the bank started charging for
SMS notifications, I canceled them. The
someone turned off the notifications in my app, and I never checked my balance. They got away with it.”
Nicola shook his head, clearly exasperated. “This story would get ripped apart if it were written in a novel.”
I laughed. “Your whole cross–country journey to return a bank card would also get slammed as unrealistic. Seems like we’re both in the same boat.”
We both laughed again.
At the end, Nicola raised his glass. “What’s
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Chapter 6
past is past. Let’s look ahead.”
+
I clinked my glass with his. “Look ahead.”
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