The days that followed were surprisingly uneventful.
No flowers, no gifts, no unexpected food deliveries to the faculty room. And most importantly—no Lucas.
Lara had half-expected him to pop up again outside her classroom or in the parking lot with that familiar look of guilt painted across his face. But he didn’t.
The silence was… strange. But also, such a relief.
It allowed her to breathe again.
Still, she couldn’t shake the tension that had knotted itself in her chest. Her guard was up, waiting for another sudden appearance.
But by the time Thursday night arrived, she started to believe—just maybe—he’d finally heard her.
On Friday morning, as Reagan pulled up in front of the school, Lara gathered her bag and paused before opening the car door.
“By the way,” she said, glancing at
