Jalen’s POV
My eyes narrowed at the door, shocked, and she froze. It was prohibited for staff to be in the students' lodge, so I panicked, and I could see the fear in her eyes. I could lose my job and everything I’ve built over the years—she could get suspended, especially when it was just the two of us in the room and the canvas was still open.
But as we stared at the door, it remained empty, no one showed up, not even a shadow, just the breeze that blew the half-closed door open. We both burst out laughing, in that moment, I felt like I was with my best friend, my soul mate. It felt so real like I was young again and I didn’t regret drifting into that world while it lasted. She plunged towards the door, checking around to be sure no one was there before shutting it behind her.
“That
