"That's good," Iva murmured against her hair. "That's really good."
Lori hugged her back, breathing in the familiar scent of her best friend.
"I hope so," she whispered.
The bell rang.
First class of the day.
They pulled apart, gathered their things, and walked toward the canteen doors. Iva squeezed her hand once before disappearing into the crowd.
Lori made her way to her classroom, her mind still spinning, her heart still pounding.
She found her usual seat near the middle and slid into it, pulling out her notebook and pen. The room was filling up—students chatting, laughing, trading gossip. Normal sounds. Ordinary sounds.
She was so focused on trying to calm her racing heart that she didn't notice him approaching until he was standing right beside her desk.
Daren.
His grey eyes
