Sugar sugar baby

[72] The return

After a full month in the wild, it was strange to be heading back to civilization. I had done it. I had survived. More than that, I'd learned how to live off the land. What started as a crazy plan to get away from Vanessa and everything tied to her had turned into something more profound. I didn't just survive—I thrived. I'd become someone who knew how to find food, build shelter, and stay warm, someone who could rely on himself.

But now, as I sat on the bus, heading back into the city, I couldn't shake the mix of emotions swirling inside me. Relief, yes, but also a weird sense of sadness. I wasn't sure I wanted to go back.

The bus was mostly empty, the worn-out seats creaking with every bump in the road. A couple of old-timers sat near the front, talking about some local sports team, their voices low and raspy. I sat in the back, my backpack at my feet, staring out the window as the landscape slowly transitioned from trees and open fields to the familiar sprawl of urban life.

I leaned back in my seat, letting out a long sigh. I had made it through a month. No phone, no distractions—just me and the wilderness. But now that it was over, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to feel.

I glanced down at my hands, still rough from days of chopping wood and fishing. The calluses on my fingers were a reminder of everything I'd been through, a physical proof that I'd learned to fend for myself. It felt good—better than anything I'd accomplished in the city.

But now, I was heading back to a world that wouldn't care about any of that. Back to reality. Back to the mess I'd left behind.

The bus hit a pothole, jostling me in my seat, and I winced. A woman a few rows up shot me a tired glance before going back to scrolling through her phone. The glow of her screen looked so foreign to me now. Technology. I hadn't touched my phone in a month. It was still powered off, buried deep in my pack. I didn't even know if I wanted to turn it on again.

The driver, a middle-aged man with a worn baseball cap, glanced at me through the rearview mirror as we approached a stoplight. "Long trip?" he asked, his voice gruff but friendly.

I nodded, not really in the mood for small talk but feeling like I owed him something for the long ride. "Yeah, you could say that. Been out camping."

He raised an eyebrow, smirking a little. "A month-long camping trip, huh? You're either crazy or you've got some serious balls, kid."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Maybe a bit of both."

The driver chuckled, turning his attention back to the road as the light turned green. "Well, hope you found what you were looking for out there."

I stared out the window again, watching as the city grew closer. Did I find what I was looking for? I wasn't sure. I'd gone into the wild to escape Vanessa's influence, to break free from the control she had over me. And in a way, I had. Out there, it was just me and the elements. No manipulation, no bullshit—just survival.

But as the city skyline came into view, the reality of what I was returning to hit me hard. My parents. The debt. The jobs I still didn't have.

And then there was Vanessa.

I couldn't help but wonder what would happen when I turned my phone back on. Would she have tried to reach out? Or would she have moved on completely, letting me fade into the background like one of her other forgotten toys?

The thought made my chest tighten, and I shook my head, trying to push it away. I didn't need her. Not anymore.

As the bus pulled into the station, the driver turned to me again. "This your stop?"

"Yeah," I said, standing up and grabbing my pack. "Thanks for the ride."

He gave me a nod, and I stepped off the bus, the hot city air hitting me like a wall. It felt strange. After a month of fresh, crisp air, the smell of exhaust and concrete felt heavy in my lungs. I adjusted my backpack, looking around at the familiar chaos of the city—people rushing by, cars honking, the distant rumble of construction. I had grown used to the quiet, the stillness of nature, and now it felt like I'd been dropped into a completely different world.