Summary

Chapter 22 opens in the quiet of Alice’s mother’s garden, where Alice finds Hayden sitting awake beneath the stars. Their conversation unfolds with intimacy and candor as Hayden admits that he has always struggled with sleep. He confesses that as a child he would sneak out at night to feel unseen and free: the only times he ever felt truly himself. The moment reveals a tender vulnerability between them, deepening their bond as they rest together on the garden bench, eventually falling asleep side by side until dawn.

In the morning, they join Alice’s mother to collect eggs, and the domestic calm reinforces their growing closeness. Alice texts her friends about the night, clarifying playfully that they only slept on the bench. Her group chat provides a humorous interlude, highlighting her ties to her city life and friends, who tease her...