Chapter 58: The Weight of Fortune.
I got to Eric’s house feeling like shit.
I hadn’t lost anything—at least, nothing that was truly mine—but that didn’t stop the hollow feeling in my chest. No matter how much I tried to shake it off, it clung to me.
After I finished telling Eric everything, he didn’t say a word. He just sat there, silent. Maybe he was too spooked to speak. Or maybe he knew I didn’t need words right now. Maybe he just wanted me to have this moment—to sit with everything, to let it settle. And honestly? His presence alone was enough.
We sat side by side on a single-seater couch by the pool, both leaned back, staring at the night sky.
It was a Wednesday night. My flight didn’t leave until Friday morning.
I turned to Eric. "You cool with me staying till then? Won’t your dad mind?"
He glanced at me before looking back up at the sky. "My parents are on holiday. I’ve got the house to myself." He shrugged. "Stay as long as you need."
I nodded, exhaling slowly.
At least I had somewhere to stay until then.
As we sat there, staring up at the night sky, I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude toward Eric.
If it weren’t for him, I knew my life would’ve stayed the same—stagnant, pathetic, stuck in the cycle I’d been living for years.