As Lily was lost in her memories, letting the emotions of the past wash over her, she was startled by a sudden knock on the door. She assumed it was Theo, coming to check on her, and smiled as she walked over to answer. She opened the door, expecting his familiar face, but instead, her expression dropped when she saw who it was.
Standing there was her neighbor, Sam, his eyes narrowed and his lips pressed into a tight line. He was the last person she wanted to see right now. Sam had always been a source of discomfort for her. Over the months, he had repeatedly asked her out, each time becoming more insistent, and each time she had turned him down, hoping he would take the hint. But he never did.
“Hey, Lily,” he greeted, his tone flat, though his eyes held a glint of something that made he
