The campus felt both familiar and strangely distant as I walked across the quad the next morning. I clutched my laptop bag tighter, trying to focus on the strategy presentation I needed to finish by Friday. But my mind kept drifting back to Damien’s steady breathing as I slipped out early, the way he’d kissed me goodbye like he could sense the lingering shadows between us.
After the intense reconciliation and the quiet doubts that followed, I had thrown myself into school. That was what I needed. No more eavesdropping on calls about “secondary routes” or “permanent consequences.” Just lectures, deadlines, and coffee that didn’t come with a side of moral crisis.
My phone buzzed. Damien.
Damien: Miss you already. Dinner tonight? I’ll pick you up after your last class.
I smiled despite my
