Elise
The week dragged by with the weight of silence. Every time her inbox pinged, her heart leaped before she caught herself—only to find
a class update or some random promotional email. Nothing from Jaxon.
By Wednesday morning, she convinced herself that was good. She had wanted distance, hadn’t she? Boundaries. That’s what David would expect. That’s what made sense.
Still, every time she passed the math building, her stomach twisted. She remembered his tone—soft but final. “I’ll only reach out via email.”
She’d smiled at the time, pretending it didn’t sting. But now, walking through the courtyard, the empty space beside her where his dry humor used to fit made everything feel... muted.
When her phone finally buzzed during lunch, she almost dropped her sandwich.
From: Jaxon Reed
