“Nina!” Loyd’s voice broke through the hallway, echoing between the tall windows and quiet classrooms. He was running, breathless, chasing the girl whose name left his lips like a plea and a promise all at once.
It was mid-March now. A weeks since that night when they had explored the sharp, thrilling edge between control and surrender, a world that still lingered in Nina’s body like an ache she could neither name nor forget.
She turned just as he reached her, startled, almost losing her balance before his hand caught her arm. In the next second, he pulled her into an empty classroom, the door closing behind them with a soft thud that seemed to swallow the sounds of the campus outside. “What is it?” Nina asked, her voice carrying a flicker of unease.
“Nothing serious,” Loyd said light
