Chapter 9

It's past midnight, and Nolan still hasn't come home.

I've grown accustomed to this and no longer anxiously call him as I used to, urging him to return quickly.

Instead, I went to bed early.

In the dead of night, the shrill ring of the phone pierces the silence.

Nolan's enraged voice comes through the line, as if he's been betrayed.

"Sloane, are you that eager to leave me?"

I can't even be bothered to open my eyes.

"Yes."

My voice must have sounded too certain, as Nolan pauses for a few seconds.

When he speaks again, his tone has softened considerably.

"Sloane, we can't just throw away six years of love on a whim."

"If this is about what happened today, I apologize."

"Think about all we've been through together."

As he speaks, a hint of choked emotion creeps into his voice.

He's trying to draw me back into our fond memories.

This is his go-to move to soften my heart after every argument.

Nolan and I have indeed come a long way to get where we are today.