hrough Belview's campus glea

sters, their laughter and easy

ust beyond the stream of students. Not trying

It was the quiet tension Craig carried, like his mind was alway

raig wore his privilege more like armor t

mall pebble from hand to hand. "People act like money's the w

t in his eye. "It's not about having it. It's

sence. Status," Keit

raig finish

lly. "Lesnar Global's next-gen lea

is mind was already elsewhere. His gaze drif

na Sa

lifting with that spark of curiosity she didn't try to hide. There was a quiet boldness

w to breathe. Not because she looked p

until Keith's voice broke th

y as if burned. "Nah," he said cooll

ng stirred. Too unfami

, winding through the

cally. "If Professor Harper ever actually sm

him hear you say that. He'll probably inven

hing. Or someone. "There's Craig Lesnar," she

o it was. Craig wasn't looking now, but she'd felt his eye

where her heart didn't quite kn

volves around his next move?" Megan re

re's something about him," she started, then caught herself, her voice traili

clearly expecting more.

. "Nothing. He's just-whatever. Let's keep moving." But the words felt too light

nt lined with framed photos of Belview's long-serving faculty. Mo

r the glass as she scanned th

ga

re her mother's pho

l erased. Like she

Then, the words fr

nvisible as you

er had sent that text knew too much.

rame again, barely notici

nt she said with her

een-year-old Merlina sat cross-legged on the floor while her

d a faded photo. "That's where I ta

" Younger Merlina

made me feel like I mattered." She smiled, tapping he

ha

ose halls too." Merlina

here her mother's photo should have been. Her

hispered. The silence was unbearable

er mother. It made Merlina question

d through her phone, abse

the sting behind her eye

ering look at the empty frame, a tightness in her chest. It was so easy to feel invis

e weight of the mom

corner, clutching the new student handbook aga

g Le

ouldn't name pulling her forward. Before she could stop hers

glanced at her briefly. Then, witho

ump in her chest grew heavy, her jaw clenched, and

ishing she could just disappear. It was like

ike he

d Craig Lesnar and Keith as they walked. Craig barely registere

ttention. He rarely did when the conversation didn

sy hair. "For real this time. I need someone new-fresh, fun, zero

an eyebrow. "

If she's hot, I'

d. Across the courtyard, Merlina Sanchez stepped out of the library with Phoebe. Her bag s

er laugh rang out, light and unguarded, cutting through the noise around

ass-Tania. You remember her?"

atching Merlina as she moved through the crowd, u

voice came out dis

ping past him without stopping. She turned, walking off, her hair ca

ng just a few feet away. Craig barely caught

rlier. The one where she'd tried to tal

ng inaccessible, a defense against peopl

fazed her. Like his brush-off hadn't even

g her out had been the right move at all. H

she wante