The campus quad felt smaller than usual the next afternoon. I had gone back to classes because hiding at Sofia’s forever wasn’t sustainable, and I refused to let Lila or Alex dictate my life. Still, I kept my head down, earbuds in, choosing routes that avoided the usual spots where Alex liked to linger.
It didn’t work.
I was cutting through the library courtyard after my last lecture when he appeared, stepping out from behind a pillar like he’d been waiting. The sight of him sent a jolt of irritation through me. He looked polished as always, but there was something sharper in his eyes today. Desperation, maybe. Or calculation.
“Elena,” he said, falling into step beside me before I could change direction. “We need to talk.”
I kept walking, not slowing down. “No, we don’t. I told you to
