Page 248 of Time Stops With You

“I’mnotgrieving. Cullen isn’t dead yet,” I snarl.

“Three weeks have passed,” Sunny says gravely.

“He’s strong. He has a few more days left. I know it.”

“You’re right.” Sunny sounds like she’s conceding for my sake. “If I hear anything from Darrel or anyone else, I’ll let you know.”

“Thanks.”

I hang up with Sunny and try to keep typing. However, the words blur in front of me. I close my laptop and bury my face in my hands.

Everything hurts.

The more I try to push it down, the more it paralyzes me.

I miss Cullen so much that I’m riding on the edge of madness. Sometimes, I’ll close my eyes and it feels like he’s in front of me. Sometimes, I’ll remember his kiss and it’ll tug me back to the night we spent together.

But the moment always fades when I open my eyes and see… nothing.

Cullen isn’t here.

He will never stand before me again.

Just then, the door opens.

Mom and Josiah walk in.

I lurch out of my seat and walk over to the fridge. Pasting a smile on my face, I greet my little brother.

“How was school today?”

“Fine,” he mutters, eyes on his phone.

“And the programming club?”

“Fine.”

Without further explanation, Josiah walks into his room and closes the door.

Mom rolls her eyes. “That blasted phone. I’m going to toss it straight into the garbage.”

“Don’t do that. It’ll be like hacking off a limb.” I take ingredients out of the fridge.

Mom’s eyes widen. “Are you preparing for tomorrow already?”

“I’m going to film a video. My followers have been asking for a tutorial of stew beans and white rice.”

“But we’re serving white rice and split peas on the menu tomorrow,” mom says.

“We can add another dish to the menu,” I say. “It’s not a big deal.”

Mom grabs my hand. “Nardi, you film videos until midnight and then you edit them until three am. Not to mention you wake up at dawn to get ready for selling on the street.”

“It’s called a street stall, mom. I’m not selling on the street. That makes me sound like a drug dealer.” I try to move my hand away.

She holds fast. “You’ve been powering on like this for a week. This pace is unsustainable. You’ll burn yourself out.”

“I’m fine,” I argue. “And it’s not like I’m working hard for nothing. We’re making a ton of money from the food stall and my videos will be monetized soon.”

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