Aria's POV
Noah walked me to my car, the afternoon light slanting gold through the trees.
"I'm glad I ran into you," he said. "Truly."
"Me too." I meant it. For the first time in weeks, I felt like I could breathe.
He hesitated, then said, "If you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here. I know things are… complicated."
"They are," I admitted. "But it's okay. I'm figuring it out."
He smiled. "You always do."
Then my phone buzzed.
I glanced at the screen. A notification from the Pacific Architecture Prize committee.
Dear Ms. Grayson, we regret to inform you that your submission has been withdrawn from consideration. A discrepancy in eligibility requirements was identified during our review process.
I read it twice.
A discrepancy in eligibility requirements? I was a licensed ar
