The hug lasted longer than either of them had expected. What began as a fleeting, awkward pull meant to steady her had turned into something that seemed to hold the shattered pieces of Harper together. She hadn't realized how badly she needed it until she felt herself sag against him, her forehead brushing the curve of his shoulder, his steady hand firm against her back. The storm inside her chest loosened ever so slightly.
For a brief moment, the world fell away. The noise, the scandal, the whispers of students, her father's disappointment—all of it dissolved into the steady, grounding warmth of someone who wasn't demanding explanations from her. Someone who didn't expect her to smile when she couldn't.
