(Noah)
I did not sleep.
I lay there in the dark, staring up, listening to the quiet. The room felt smaller tonight. Like everything had shifted just enough to make it hard to settle.
I closed my eyes.
It did not help.
Her face was still there. The way she looked at me when I said it. The way she went still when I touched her. Not pulling away right away. Not stopping me at first.
That second stayed with me.
Then she had pushed me back.
Clear. Certain.
I respected that.
I would always respect that.
But she had let me get close before she did it.
I turned my head toward the wall that separated us.
She was right there. Same floor. Same building. Just a few steps and a door between us.
Out of all the places we could have ended up, it had to be this.
I let out a breath and sat up
