Chapter Twenty: In Plain Sight
By Monday, Nora had decided something. If Eli thought she was confused— If he believed what she felt was just comfort— Then she would prove otherwise. Not to him. To herself. Because the worst part of that night wasn’t that he hesitated. It was that he dismissed it. Comfort. The word echoed every time she thought about it. So she did what people do when their pride is bruised. She doubled down. At school, she found Liam by the lockers before first period. She slipped her hand into his without hesitation. He blinked slightly in surprise. Then smiled. “Morning,” he said. “Morning.” It was simple. But intentional. In AP Lit, she sat closer to him than usual. Her knee brushed his. She didn’t move away. When he leaned over to whisper a joke about the reading, she laughed a
- Writer
