LIVING IN DENIAL

The first thing I noticed was the silence.

Not the peaceful kind. The heavy kind—the kind that sat in your chest and refused to move.

I dragged my box into the cramped hostel room, already regretting transferring to this university. New school, new city, new people… and absolutely no idea what I was doing.

“Room 17,” I muttered, double-checking the number scribbled on my admission slip.

I pushed the door open.

And froze.

He was sitting on the bed.

Head down. Fingers tapping his phone. Calm. Unbothered.

Familiar.

Too familiar.

My heart slammed hard against my ribs.

No… no, no, no.

It couldn’t be.

But it was.

“Daniel…?” I whispered before I could stop myself.

He looked up.

Our eyes met.

And just like that, my entire past came crashing back.

Two years ago.

The boy who promised me forever.

The boy who disappeared without a word.

The boy who broke me.

Now sitting casually on my bed like he didn’t ruin my life.

He frowned slightly. “Sorry… do I know you?”

The words hit harder than a slap.

I laughed—but it came out shaky. “Nice joke.”

“I’m serious,” he said, standing up slowly. “Have we met before?”

I stared at him.

Same face.

Same eyes.

Same voice.

But something was off.

No recognition.

No guilt.

No memory.

“You’re Daniel Adebayo,” I said slowly.

“Yeah.”

“And you don’t remember me?”

He shook his head.

My chest tightened.

“So… you just forgot?” I asked, my voice rising. “Just like that?”

He looked confused. “Forgot what?”

Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

Not in front of him.

Not again.

“Nothing,” I said quickly, turning away. “Forget it.”

Silence filled the room again.

But this time, it was worse.

Because now it carried questions.

Too many questions.

He cleared his throat. “Look… I don’t know what’s going on, but if I did something—”

“You did,” I snapped.

He stopped.

“I just… don’t remember it,” he finished quietly.

I grabbed my bag and dropped it on the other bed, my hands trembling.

This had to be a joke.

A cruel, twisted joke.

Out of all the schools.

Out of all the rooms.

Out of all the people in the world…

I got stuck with him.

The boy who broke my heart.

And didn’t even remember doing it.