I should have said no.
That thought followed me all the way back to my desk, sitting heavier with each step I took. Not to the situation—because that part, I understood now—but to him. To the way he had said it, so certain that I would agree, like he already knew the outcome before I did.
And the worst part?
He was right.
“Ava?” Lila’s voice pulled me back. “You look like you just agreed to something you didn’t want to.”
I sat down slowly. “Something like that.”
“That sounds serious.”
“It is.”
She leaned forward slightly. “Do I need to be concerned?”
I hesitated, then shook my head. “No. Not like that.”
“That’s not convincing.”
“I’m fine.”
“You keep saying that like it’s going to become true.”
I let out a quiet breath. “I just… need to adjust.”
“To what?”
I glanced at her br
