ia's

and new fine prints too, the kind of place

ked open on my lap. The cover was worn soft from too many hands, but I can't blame no one, because it had a lovable MMC-dark-haired

end meant another s

ars, and I still c

of him, the way his fingers had known exactly where to press, the low growl of "good girl" against my throa

n measured against that

e. The ache was familiar now-low, persistent, like a bruise that never quite heal

zzed agains

? Lecture ended 20 min ago. I

ld pull me out of my head when I started spiraling into fictional men. She didn't know about the stranger from

y way. Save me a s

, freckles across my nose and cheeks, lips still pouty from biting them while reading. Twenty-five now, and sophomore year st

time, if he'd even recognize

nd it was proba

udents laughing too loud, leaves crunching under boots, someone blasting music from a dorm window. I c

o the wall, whispered filthy promises, an

, and heat crawle

needed

hair spilling over her shoulders, skin the same warm tone as the photos of her mothe

ike I might miss he

er cup toward me. "Latte, extra cinnamon.

nd wrapped my hands around

ed forward, elbows on the table, her grin wicked. "

is? No. And I'm

ut he had the rich-dad energy

I took a sip, let the cinnamon settle on my tongue

for anything serious. You're looking for a fict

rab

sta glanced over. "What? I'm right. Yo

r than reality

rist. "You deserve real, babe. Someone who looks at y

smile. "May

k's coming up soon, and my Dad's insisting I come home for the full two weeks. He said he mis

e sounds like

most wistful. "He's been... quieter lately. I don't know. Work stuff,

opped into still water. Mirabel had never known her, only stories and photos and the quiet grief that still l

e with me," she

. "To you

ll make you drool, and he always over-caters. You'd be doing me a favor-ke

"I don't want

like having someone else around. He gets weird when it's just us-starts t

mpting. A break from campus, from Chris, from scho

aid. "If yo

'll text him now. He'll be thrilled. Or at least he'll pr

looked up with a grin. "Done. Welc

hing strange in my chest-half excit

oliday." I rep