Chapter 28: No Label, Just Us

She was still looking at me with that same bright, happy look when she seemed to catch herself.

"I've still got some things to finish up," she said, glancing toward her desk, though she didn't move from her spot beside me. "You don't have to wait around for me if you've got somewhere to—"

"Let's talk. About yesterday."

She went still, the same way she had when I first walked in, except this time there was nothing warm covering it.

I let out a slow breath. "I like you too. A lot." I held her gaze, not looking away from it this time. "I think I'm falling for you."

"Okay," she said quietly. Her eyes had gone vulnerable in a way I'd only seen glimpses of before, like she was already bracing for whatever she was thinking would come next.

"I don't have to explain to you why we can't exactly be a thing."

She nodded, slowly, her eyes fixed on mine even as something in her expression looked like it might genuinely break.