Craig's grip loosened.
Not fast. Not all at once. But enough. His hand dropped from her arm like he finally seemed to register what he was doing.
Where they were, who might've seen. What it must've looked like, him standing there, tense, jaw clenched, holding her like he couldn't let go. Like he didn't care who saw.
God. This wasn't him.
This wasn't how he handled things. Not like this. Not outside a dorm building, not in the open with students walking by, not where anyone could catch pieces of something that wasn't theirs to see.
He looked down at his hand, now empty. Like he wasn't sure what the hell he'd been thinking.
Keith and Phoebe were walking up now, slowly, trying to act like they weren't both low-key freaking out inside.
Merlina's chest was tight, throat dry, eyes locked on Phoebe like she'd been caught red-handed. Which, in a way, she had.
It was like all the mess she'd been trying to outrun just came crashing down on her head.
