Forbidden
But inside the small office, lit only by the warm glow of the desktop monitor and a single desk lamp, it felt like an isolated sanctuary.
Hours passed in a blur of shared calculations and quiet revisions. By 2:00 AM, the heavy workload and the hypnotic sound of the rain finally took their toll. Lauren’s eyes grew heavy.
Without realizing it, her head began to tilt sideways, her eyelids fluttering shut until her forehead gently rested against Anne’s shoulder.
Anne froze. Her breath hitched in her throat as she felt the soft weight of Lauren leaning against her.
She looked down at the student’s sleeping face—free of the usual cynical defense mechanisms, looking incredibly peaceful under the di