I stood under the campus garden lights for several minutes after Gabriel left. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Tears almost fell, but I refused to look weak. Not tonight.
After making sure no one was around, I walked back toward the rooftop where the party was still going on. The music was faint in the distance, a cheerful rhythm that felt painfully out of place compared to the chaos in my head. I climbed the stairs slowly, hoping everyone had already forgotten what happened earlier.
When I reached the top, a few people turned their heads, some whispering softly. I could feel curious eyes following me, but I pretended not to notice. David was still standing near the railing, looking awkward.
As soon as he saw me, he jogged over quickly.
“Sera! I didn’t know that was y
