CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED - WHAT REMAINS OF US

  A week after the confrontation, Nia had not stepped foot outside her apartment. She sat curled up on her couch, wrapped in a blanket that still faintly smelled of Leon's cologne. Her eyes were red and puffy from constant crying, dark circles beneath them testament to sleepless nights. Maria, her best friend, bustled around the apartment, tidying up and periodically trying to coax Nia into eating something. "Sweetie, you need to eat," she said gently, placing a bowl of soup on the coffee table. "You can't go on like this." Nia's gaze remained fixed on the window, watching the world continue to turn outside while hers had come to a grinding halt. "I've lost him, Maria," she whispered, her voice hoarse from disuse. "I've lost everything." Maria sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I know it feels that way now, but-" She was interrupted by the chime of Nia's phone. Nia's heart leaped into her throat as she saw Leon's name on the screen. With trembling hands, s