They walked together toward the lecture hall, the afternoon sun warm on their faces.
Karl was standing by the door, his hands in his pockets, his dark eyes scanning the hallway. When he saw them, his shoulders relaxed.
"You're late," he said.
"Sorry," Mira said, her voice still thick from crying.
Karl looked at her, at her red eyes, at her slightly damp cheeks. His expression softened.
"You okay?" he asked.
Mira nodded. "I will be," she said.
Karl didn't push. He just held the door open, and they walked inside.
They found their seats near the window. Bella sat between Mira and Karl.
Mira stared at the whiteboard, but she wasn't seeing it. Her mind was elsewhere, replaying the scene in the hallway, Noah's lazy smile, the way his eyes had slid past her like she was invisible.
She glanced at Bella, who was already taking notes, her pen moving smoothly across the page.
"Thank you," Mira whispered.
Bella looked up, her brown eyes warm. "Anytime," she said softly.
