(Lucy’s POV)
The moment Liam left, the restroom felt smaller, the air too thick to breathe. My reflection stared back at me from the mirror, pale, shaky, with eyes rimmed red. I splashed water on my face, hoping it would wash away the tremor in my hands. But the sting in my throat, the acid taste of fear, wouldn’t go away.
I pushed the door open, desperate to get out of that suffocating space, and crashed straight into someone.
“Oh God, I’m so sorry,” I blurted, my voice trembling.
“It’s alright.” A firm hand caught my elbow before I could stumble. “Hey, careful.”
The man steadied me, his tone gentle, his eyes the colour of old whisky. His tie hung loose around his neck, and there was a faint trace of marker on his sleeve. I realised then he wasn’t a student.
“You don’t look well,” h
