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Chapter 23
Emily was about to crawl into bed after washing up, still running her fingers through her freshly dried hair, when someone started banging on her door.
She froze for a second, then, almost on autopilot, opened it.
Jenny stood on the threshold, lips pressed in a thin line, looking more serious than Emily had ever seen her.
“Emily, you’re on the trending list back home.”
She handed Emily her phone. The trending topics were all about Damon, his name plastered everywhere. One hashtag jumped out: #DamonConfesses HisLoveWherelsEmily.
Emily’s photos were everywhere, though thankfully, nobody seemed to know where she was. Her face stiffened as she took the phone, scrolling through the headlines, her brows furrowing deeper by the second.
Jenny didn’t pry. She just stared at Emily, worry written all over her face.
Emily let out a quiet sigh, almost resigned. “Yeah, that’s me. Damon’s my ex. We broke up, and I left the country right after.”
The air in the room went completely still. It took Jenny a second to find her voice.
“Wait–so you broke up, but he’s making this huge scene? Isn’t this going to cause you a ton of trouble?”
Emily pressed her fingers to her temple, looking tired. “It’s a pain, but I’m not even in the country now. And for certain reasons, he can’t leave either, so I doubt it’ll really affect me.”
Jenny still didn’t look convinced. “You should be careful, though. He seems pretty intense. Someone at work might recognize you, you know? Maybe wear a hat or something when you go out.”
Emily couldn’t help but smile at how seriously Jenny was taking this. “Seriously, it’s fine. He can’t get to me here.”
But Jenny wasn’t done worrying. She dug around in her bag and handed Emily her own cap.
Take this. It’ll help you keep a low profile. Plus, you won’t get sunburned.”
ily took it, trying to lighten the mood. “He’s just an ex. No need to be so nervous.”
y didn’t smile. “Damon lost it in front of everyone–big red flag. I’ve read way too many
bout exes doing crazy things. I’m honestly worried he’ll find a way to bother you.”
warm rush in her chest. They hadn’t even known each other that long, but Jenny Teary red. She reached out, giving Jenny’s hand a gentle squeeze. “We were together for years. He’s done his share of hurt, but I don’t think he’d go that far. He wouldn’t actually hurt me. Don’t worry, okay?”
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Emily sounded calm, but Jenny remembered how quiet she’d gone when they’d talked about her ex before. It was obvious that relationship had left some real marks.
Jenny fumbled for something comforting to say. “You’ll get through this, Emily. You’ve already made it out of the worst part. Just keep moving forward.”
“And hey, you’ve got us now! My classmates and I–we’ll all team up to protect you if he ever shows up.”
Looking into Jenny’s determined eyes, Emily felt her anxiety start to melt away.
She broke into a genuine laugh. “Thanks, Jenny.”
She’d survived so much already.
Now she was living in a new country, surrounded by people who cared about her. What was left to be afraid of?
