Se connecterCherish’S POV I waited until the last of the afternoon classes had ended before I went looking for him. The faculty hallway was quieter than usual. Most of the office doors were closed. When I reached his, it was half open. Dalton sat behind the desk with his sleeves rolled to the elbows, staring at a blank space on the wall. A faint bruise had already started to darken across the knuckles of his right hand. The same hand that had connected with Adrian’s jaw only a few hours earlier. He looked up when I stepped inside. Something moved across his face—relief, tension, something harder to name—but he didn’t speak first. I closed the door behind me harder than I needed to. The sound was sharp in the quiet room. “You punched him in front of half the campus.” Dalton leaned back in the chair slowly. “I know.” “People recorded it. A staff member saw it happen. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” “Yes.” The calm in his voice made the anger under my skin burn hotter. I stepped cl
Cherish’s POV Adrian insisted on walking me to class the next monday. “It’s on my way,” he said when I told him he didn’t have to. “Besides, I want to see you before the weekend.” I didn’t have a strong enough reason to refuse, so I let him. We crossed the main courtyard side by side under a pale sky. He talked about a group project that was already falling apart, about a professor who still refused to post lecture slides online, about how Lila had already texted him three times asking how the date had gone. I gave short answers and tried to look like someone who had slept properly. The hollow feeling from the night before still sat under my ribs like something unfinished. The kiss had been kind. That was the problem. Kindness hadn’t been enough to quiet anything inside me. Students moved around us in loose groups, coffee cups in hand, earbuds in, laughing about things that felt very far away. Adrian slowed his steps so I wouldn’t have to rush. He was being careful with me. Co
Cherish’a POV Adrian chose a small Italian restaurant a short walk from campus. Warm lights hung over wooden tables, and the air smelled of garlic, tomato, and fresh bread. It was the kind of place that felt safe—quiet enough for real conversation, busy enough that silence never became uncomfortable. He stood when I reached the table and pulled out my chair. “You look really nice,” he said. “Thanks.” I sat down and placed my bag beside my feet. “This place is cute.” “I thought it might be better than another loud bar.” He smiled, easy and open. “Less chance of Lila appearing out of nowhere to give live commentary.” I managed a small laugh. “She does have a talent for that.” We ordered drinks first. Adrian asked what I liked and then told the waiter without making a show of it. When the glasses arrived he lifted his slightly. “To new attempts,” he said. I touched my glass to his and took a sip. The wine was decent. Everything about the evening so far was decent. That should
Cherish’s POV Dalton didn’t move as I walked toward him. The streetlight above him cast a hard yellow circle on the pavement. His hands stayed in the pockets of his dark coat, shoulders straight, expression carefully controlled. For a second I considered turning around and walking the long way to the back entrance of the building. It would have been easier. Instead I stopped a few feet away from him and forced myself to meet his eyes. “Where were you?” he asked. His voice was quiet. That made it worse. “Out,” I said. “With who?” I could have lied. Part of me wanted to. Lying would have kept the conversation shorter. But I was tired of shorter. I was tired of careful answers and half-truths that only delayed the inevitable. “Lila’s cousin. Adrian.” Something shifted behind his eyes, so fast I almost missed it. He stayed perfectly still, but the air between us tightened. “You ignored every message I sent tonight.” “I needed space.” “Space.” He repeated the word like he was e
Cherish’s POV Lila showed up at my apartment at seven with a half-finished bottle of wine in one hand and a determined look that meant I wasn’t getting out of this. “Get dressed,” she said, already walking past me into the living room. “Something cute. Not the hoodie you’ve been living in. We’re going out.” I closed the door behind her. “I’m not really in the mood.” “That’s exactly why you’re coming. You’ve been weird for days. You barely answer my texts, you look like you haven’t slept properly, and every time your phone lights up you stare at it like it might explode. So tonight we’re fixing that.” I didn’t have the energy to fight her. After the call with my mother and the growing weight of everything connected to Dalton, the idea of staying alone with my thoughts felt worse than going out. I changed into black jeans and a simple top, pulled my hair into a loose ponytail, and followed her downstairs. The bar Lila chose was close to campus, loud enough that conversation had to
Cherish’s POV The apartment was too quiet. I sat on the edge of my bed with the lights off, phone resting face-down on the blanket beside me. It had been ringing and buzzing since morning. My mother’s name kept appearing on the screen like it was trying to wear me down through sheer persistence. I had ignored every call and every text. I told myself I needed time. I told myself I would answer when I was ready. It was almost midnight when I finally picked up. “Cherish.” Her voice was controlled, but I could hear the tension underneath it. “Hi, Mom.” “I’ve been trying to reach you all day.” “I know. I was busy.” A short silence. Then, “I received a message this morning. Anonymous. It said my daughter is involved with an older man. A professor at her university.” My stomach dropped so fast I felt lightheaded. I stood up and walked to the window, needing something to look at besides the dark room. “Who sent it?” “That isn’t the point. Is it true?” I didn’t answer right away.







