I read it twice, then I folded it and held it in my hands and stared out the window at the green fields that had looked peaceful five minutes ago.
The message felt intense in a way that made my skin feel tight. Possessive in a way that didn't leave much room for anything else.
I put the note in my pocket and stood up for the second time. I was not going to meet him. Not tonight, not if I could find a way to avoid it.
The sun was warmer when I stepped back outside, but it didn't reach the cold, quiet place that had settled somewhere in the middle of my chest. I started walking, not toward anything specific, just moving.
I took the quieter paths that wound around the back of the academy grounds, away from the areas where students clustered and noise gathered. I needed to think without
