Frozen by the doorway, I waited sixty seconds dead before rapping my knuckles against Daniel's frame.
Foolish. Totally out of reason. Right after the dean spoke, caution filled the air between us. Madison's words kept spreading across campus like smoke. Eyes followed every move. Yet there I stood, reaching my old professor's door at eight on a Tuesday night, stepping into what we'd avoided too long.
Before running off, I tapped on the door.
Right away, the door swung open. There he was: Daniel, dressed down in jeans and a simple t-shirt - clothes I hadn't known he owned - his face tense yet stunning, somehow exactly what my heart had been searching for.
"Hi," he said.
There it was. My feet stayed put. Not a single step forward. The doorway felt miles away, me stuck in place, breath held tight.
Surprise filled his voice. "You are here.".
"You asked me to."
"I wasn't sure you would. After the dean meeting. After everything."
