(Maddie's POV)I told myself the extra office meeting three days later was purely academic, that my latest revision deserved only the same rigorous feedback Professor Soren always gave, yet the moment I stepped through his door after regular hours the lie dissolved like mist under heat. The corridor had been empty, the building hushed except for the distant hum of a custodian’s cart somewhere far away, and the rain had returned in a soft, persistent rhythm against the windows, sealing us inside a private world of warm lamplight and heavy anticipation. He looked up from his desk when I entered, his dark eyes registering surprise that quickly melted into something deeper, more unguarded. Maddie, he said, using my first name for the first time, the single word carrying a low vibration that traveled straight down my spine and settled low in my belly. I closed the door behind me with a soft click that sounded far too final, my pulse already racing as I crossed the room and set my folder on
続きを読む