TESSA.
I walked into the lecture hall already late. The professor was already writing across the board, his voice rolling steady over the room. A few students glanced up, then back down at their notes.
Nova caught my eye the second I walked in. Her eyebrows lifted. I must have looked worse than I thought. I kept my head down, moving toward her. The only empty seat was next to her, halfway up the row.
She leaned closer as I sat. “What happened?” Her voice was low but sharp with concern.
“Nothing,” I whispered, staring at my notebook even though I wasn’t writing anything. My throat burned.
“Don’t give me that,” she murmured.
I lifted my chin slightly, tilting my face up, blinking hard. If I looked up, maybe the tears would roll back instead of down. My chest ached from holding it in.
