Imani’s POV
I hadn’t expected Nicolas respecting my boundaries to feel like this.
That was the part no one warned you about.
I thought putting distance between me and Nicolas would make everything easier, cleaner, quieter, safer. I thought once he stopped pushing, once he stayed firmly on his side of the line, I’d feel relieved.
Instead, I felt… unsettled.
Our last tutoring session had been textbook perfect. He arrived early. He stayed focused. He didn’t tease me, didn’t provoke me, didn’t flirt. He didn’t linger when it was over.
He followed every rule I set like they were sacred. And somehow, that hurt more than when he’d been reckless.
I stared at my notes for the third time without actually reading them, my mind replaying the way he’d stood at the door that night, the look on is
