I couldn't stay in the room.
I sat on my bed for maybe twenty minutes after Lia had fallen asleep. I stared at the ethics board email on my phone, reading it again, even though I already knew every word of it. And then I got up and put on a jacket and picked up my bag.
I stood in the middle of the dark room.
I opened our messages.
Typed: I need to see you.
I sent it and stood there waiting with my heart going too fast and the room too quiet around me.
His response came shortly.
Roman is outside.
I stared at that for a moment.
He'd sent Roman. Before I’d texted, before I'd even decided to text, he'd already sent him to wait for me. I wondered how long Roman had been standing there, just waiting outside. I stood in the dark and felt that land in a way I didn't have words for yet and
