Hailey
The moment the doorknob twisted, a paralyzing fear gripped me. I’d never known such terror—exposed, vulnerable, and drowning in a thousand racing thoughts. But then, Damien covered me with his jacket, his voice a soft whisper, "It's okay." The weight of his words broke through the storm in my chest, and somehow, all those terrifying emotions began to fade.
For a fleeting moment, I felt safe again.
But even as the door creaked open, I pressed my face deeper into Damien’s chest, clutching the suit jacket around me like a lifeline. Whoever had entered—whoever it was—I couldn’t let them see me. Not like this. Not exposed.
If it was someone from the college, someone who worked here, I knew Damien could bury the story, but the thought of their eyes lingering on me, judging, whisperin
