ALEX.
I hated how comforting Derek’s words felt, hated it even more because comfort wasn’t supposed to come from him anymore. I hated it because my body reacted before my mind could stop it—my shoulders easing, my breathing steadying, my heart slowing down and beating faster simultaneously like it used to when he told me everything would be fine.
“You’re doing great,” he said quietly as we stood off to the side of the hall. “You always put too much pressure on yourself.”
I nodded, even though I knew better now. Even though I knew those same words once came with conditions. Still, in that moment, they wrapped around me like something familiar.
And yet, the familiarity I felt right now was dangerous.
I found myself noticing him more than I should have—the way his hair fell slightly into
