The campus was spilling out into the streets, students laughing, shouting, cheering in relief after the last exam. Appie walked beside Baron, quieter than usual, matching his calm pace instead of her usual bouncing stride.
When they reached his building, she stopped and turned to him.
“Got plans for the break?” she asked.
He gave the faintest nod, almost like he didn’t want to explain further.
She nodded back, equally light. “See you after the break, then.”
Her hand slipped into his, warm and sure. She stepped close—leaning in as though she might hug him—but paused there, right at the edge of closeness. A small smile, a soft squeeze of his hand, and then she pulled back.
“Goodbye,” she said, the word hanging in the air longer than it should have.
And before he could reply, she was a
