the campus library when she s

cally. Not like in a mov

ing down. Pretending she had forgotten something. Anyt

is out, and Aria was alrea

walked

eeded to be deliberate so she did

move when

't w

to close th

she wasn't sure she had t

ehow, mad

r face drawn in a way that didn't suit her. Her hair was tied back, but not properl

who had been crying for

e didn

ri

was soft

ep something intact. She didn't know what, exa

do you

the way someone registers background n

to talk

ng to talk abo

Not quite a laugh, but clos

e from where I'm standing, it

ed again. "Pleas

t do

d, she tilted her head slightly, studying her like she was

that," she said quietly, "bef

y the way she intended

ickly, like she needed to get the sentence o

harpened. "Th

ine. It sound

's no

ve been hearing it from you b

ple passed behind them. Laughter somewhere in the distance

ght here, ev

was bracing herself. "It did

arms. "Then tell

was a

lo

quiet inside Aria's chest. "It star

w we

cause she hadn't heard, but because

weeks?"

t know

once. "You

t wasn't phy

ef

. "So there was a before.?

tly what y

wed. "We ju

er gaze. "A

hesit

ation answ

d've been talking to m

ed slowly

cond, then back at her.

meant to

"That sentence is doing a lot of work

enough to touch. Just eno

kept spending time togethe

stop

rrowed slightl

this time she didn't l

ded diff

so

.. cl

trusting both of you, you were posi

s not

fair," Aria said. "It

arp now. "You think t

tared

, steady and controlled. "I think

ieted h

f for this,"

hat sounds like something you need

uption was

colder now. "You don't get to show up here crying like

went

ch word measured, "and then make me respo

breath. Slow

e my bes

n't rise. The

st... s

crumpled.

at her for a

mber things she did

hook her h

next to you, learn everything about you, and then use

ke him," Iri

. "Then why did h

.And that nothing

tepped

distance wasn

as c

ed sp

asked, panic slippi

her gaze

n't k

ember who I am with

aving Iris exactly wher