Going Home

I was at North River Park, trying to work up the courage to go back to my apartment, when I saw Fiona.

"Fuck," I muttered under my breath.
You knew it was coming, thought the Unforgivable. This is what you wanted, isn't it?
Go die in a hole.
Testy, aren't we?

Fiona's eyes widened when she saw me sitting on the bench. She ran over and hugged me. After a second of hesitation, I hugged her back.

Then she pulled back and gave me a death glare."Where were you?! You haven't been responding to any of my texts, my calls…"

I dug around in my backpack for a second and took out my shattered phone.
Fiona stared at it.
"I thought one of those Panopticon guys was following me. I ran away, but I tripped and it broke," I said by way of explanation.
Fiona gave me a look of disappointment. "That... really? That is what happened here? I was worried sick about the total silence on your end, and you broke your phone trying to... God. I'm just glad you're safe." She hugged me again. "Please. Don't leave like that again."

You are a fool, thought the Unforgivable. This will not last. She will wish you never came back when she sees you for what you really are.
Why do you care?
...You're more naïve than I realized.

I came home with Fiona after that. On seeing me standing awkwardly in the doorway, Soren set his book down and ran to hug me.

I'm not exactly a chef, so the food I had while I was away was mostly junk. Fast food imported from south of the UP. That sort of thing. Fiona's cooking that night, and the three of us eating together for the first time in weeks... it was a nice change of pace.

Soon it will all be over, thought the Unforgivable. Treasure this. Keep it in your heart. Let the loss of it poison you.