8

Mariah's POV:

I regretted calling her the second I hung up.

Not because she'd said anything bad—actually, the opposite. She'd said things I'd been replaying in my head since.

You're not just some girl.I'd ask where you are. I'd drive there.I don't mind.

I barely slept. My phone stayed face-down on the nightstand, the Post-it with her number tucked underneath it like a secret I wasn't ready to admit to. Like a promise I wasn't sure I was allowed to keep.

I got to class early the next morning just to prove to myself that I could act normal. That I hadn't cracked something wide open at 12:16 AM.

Kamala walked in two minutes before the hour—on time, sharp as ever. Black slacks. Deep green blouse. Hair tied back into a slick bun. She didn't look like someone who whispered a confession into the phone last night.

She looked unreadable.

She set her things down without looking at me. No smile. No flicker of recognition. Just the same cool controlled presence she always wore in public.

I hated how much that stung.

Halfway through the lecture, I dropped my pen twice. My hand was clammy. I took notes I wouldn't remember reading. I kept waiting for her to look at me—to give me something, anything. But she didn't.

I started to wonder if I made it all up.

If maybe she hadn't meant what she said.

But then, right as class ended, she looked up—just for a second—and our eyes locked.

One second.

That was it.

But it told me everything I needed to know.__________Kamala's POV:

I kept my voice steady.

I walked in, took attendance, reviewed case law, and guided a discussion on ethics in political power like i hadn't almost driven to her apartment in the middle of the night.

Like I hadn't said too much. Felt too much.

Don't say that, I'd told her.Because I'm not sure I'd stop myself.

The truth hung between us now. Fragile. Flammable.

When I saw her in the front row—hair pulled into a puff, glasses on, lips pressed tight in focus—I knew she'd barely slept too. She was trying to pretend, same as me.

I should've felt proud of my control.

Instead I felt like I was lying through my teeth.

I avoided looking at her too long. Every time I glanced her way, i remembered how her voice had sounded through the phone. Raw. Nervous. Needing something.

And how badly I wanted to give it to her.

This has to stop, I told myself as I gathered my notes.

But then I looked at her.

She was watching me. Not daring to smile. Not moving.

And something inside me slipped again.___________

Short chapter, I know. But I wanted to give you guys something before I got too tired from work. 😀

Love you babies😘!!

P.S. like I said before; closed mouths don't get fed. TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT!!