Charlottenburg welcomed me with gray skies and a chill that seeped straight into my bones the moment I stepped off the train from the airport. I'd chosen it because it felt far enough from the tourist heart of Berlin - no Brandenburg Gate crowds, no postcard views - just quiet streets lined with Altbau buildings, bakeries that smelled like fresh Brötchen, and the slow-moving Spree River nearby.

Just the kind of place I hope Mateo wouldn't find me in. Just thinking about it. What of he decided to look for me? What if he gets pissed over everything and all I had made him spend on me?

My new apartment...