I Love You So Much. But I Just Don’t Like
Chapter 14
Chapter 14
The plane touched down in Melbourne just before dawn.
“Purpose of your visit?” asked the immigration officer, scanning her documents.
“I’ve accepted a position with a tech firm here,” Aria replied. “My work visa’s approved for two years.”
Nodding at her accent–free English, the officer stamped her passport. “Welcome to Australía, Ms. Collins.”
Aria thanked him, collected her suitcase, and headed into the terminal.
She booked an Uber on her new phone. The driver, an American expat, brightened when he saw her destination.
“First time in Melbourne?” he asked, helping with her luggage.
“Is it that obvious?” She smiled.
Throughout the ride, he shared local insights–which neighborhoods to avoid after dark, where to find decent coffee, which transit apps actually worked. Aria soaked it all in, grateful for the impromptu orientation.
They exchanged numbers at the hotel, the driver promising to send her a list of “places the guidebooks don’t tell you
about.”
Alone in her room, Aria finally allowed her shoulders to drop. The carefully maintained composure she’d held onto since leaving Milan crumbled. She ordered room service, took a long shower, and fell into a dreamless sleep on the plush hotel bed.
She woke disoriented at 2 PM, squinting at unfamiliar shadows on unfamiliar walls. For several minutes, she lay there, processing the reality that she was literally on the other side of the world from everything she’d known.
Melbourne sweltered in summer heat. She changed into a light sundress and grabbed lunch before taking a taxi to. view the apartment she’d leased near her new office.
The landlord met her with keys and paperwork. As she toured her new home, Aria mentally cataloged essentials she needed to buy and scheduled a cleaning service.
By evening, she had moved her single s
uitcase in, the beginning of her fresh start.
Over the next few days, she acquired the basics–kitchenware, bedding, toiletries–transforming empty rooms into something resembling home. Between shopping trips, she texted with her soon–to–arrive roommate.
Her cooking skills and age helped her connect with international students in the neighboring apartments. Two grad students from the building next door adopted her into their social circle, showing her hidden gems around the city.
Between her new job and weekend explorations with her growing friend group, Aria settled into a comfortable rhythm that felt increasingly like a real life.
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I Love You So Much. But I Just Don’t Like You Ar
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Chapter 14
One morning, she was startled awake by the sound of keys in the lock. Stumbling out of her bedroom in pajamas, she found a young woman wrestling a massive suitcase through the doorway.
“Hi! You must be Aria?” The newcomer offered a nervous smile. “I’m Martha Hills–your roommate? Sorry if I woke
you.”
Aria suddenly remembered Martha mentioning today’s arrival date in their last exchange.
“No worries! Let me help with that.” She grabbed the suitcase handle. “Coffee? You must be jet–lagged.”
By afternoon, the internet strangers had become fast friends, exploring the neighborhood together and stocking the refrigerator.
Martha was beginning her master’s program the following week. To welcome her, Aria prepared a dinner party, inviting the friends she’d made since arriving.
As they gathered around borrowed folding chairs and mismatched plates, laughing and sharing stories, Aria felt something unexpected–the first glimmers of belonging.
