Mia remained seated, avoiding all eye contact.
Then Christian spoke, loud enough to draw more stares. “Ma’am, we’ve arrived.”
Mia gritted her teeth. “I know we’ve arrived. You don’t have to announce it to the entire school.”
She gathered herself and stepped out, pretending not to notice the way some girls nearby were already smiling and whispering.
One waved at her. Mia returned it with a tight smile, then turned to Christian, eyes narrowed.
“Tell me you’re not following me to class,” she said. “Because you don’t have to.”
Christian didn’t hesitate. “It’s part of my job description. I must.”
Mia didn’t wait to argue. She turned, reopened the door she had just shut, grabbed her bag, and took off toward the faculty building, heels tapping fast against the concrete.
She didn’t want hi
