Lines of Loyalty

The warmth lingered long after Sophie’s hand had left mine. It was a foreign sensation, a foreign heat that pulsed beneath my skin, making the familiar corridors of Ashford Hall feel suddenly alien. Daniel’s amused chatter about the merits of different club sign-up strategies faded into a dull hum as I replayed the interaction, dissecting every word, every glance, every subtle shift in Sophie’s expression.

“Dude, you’re still spaced out,” Daniel said, nudging me as we walked back toward our dorm. “Seriously, what was that? You looked like you’d seen a ghost.”

I forced myself to focus on him, on the mundane reality of our shared space. “Just tired,” I said, the lie tasting like ash in my mouth. It was the only defense I had, the only explanation I could offer for a reaction that felt so utterly out of character.