That afternoon, Celina didn’t see Thor again. Ever since their cold exchange, her chest felt like it had been filled with concrete. The words left unspoken echoed inside her like muffled drums, and every step she took through the agency weighed heavier than the last.

The workday was nearly over when she grabbed her phone and quickly typed to Zoe:

“Are you going to campus or heading straight home?”

The reply came almost instantly:

“Home! I’ll wait for you at reception.”

Minutes later, they were