105

~Matt~

I shifted and busied myself with arranging my belongings, not noticing when evening descended upon us. The sound of a soothing voice filled the air, drawing my attention. I turned the knob of my room and peered into the kitchen. There was Neeral, lost in her world as she sang along with her earplugs in.

“I need somebody to heal, somebody to know. Somebody to have, somebody to hold...” Her voice resonated with the lyrics of Lewis Capaldi’s song. She was making her coffee, completely unaware of my presence. I found myself drawn to the kitchen, silently making my way toward her.

Startled, she turned around and quickly removed her earplugs. “Sorry, I forgot about you...”

“Do you have an extra cup of coffee for me?” I smiled, my gaze fixated on her face.

She nodded and extended her cup toward me.

As she turned to retreat into her room, I called out to her. “Would you mind sitting here with me?”

We settled on different couches, facing each other. The air was filled with a hint of awk