Chapter 59

• Darren
• I stared at the campus through the windshield, the glass smudged where Leila had pressed her palm earlier. It'd been a while since I'd set foot here, but the place smelled the same: cut grass and ambition, a scent that clung to the air like a promise. Freshmen swarmed the quad, backpacks bouncing, voices overlapping in a chaotic hum. I rolled down the window, let the noise wash over me. It felt foreign, like pressing a hand to a scar you'd forgotten you had.
• Leila leaned across the center console, her hair brushing my arm. "I'll be quick," she said, already unbuckling her seatbelt. Her fingers lingered on the strap, like she was hesitating. "Just need to grab my schedule and sign a few forms."