“Can we just pretend it’s a normal vacation and forget about everything here?”

“Absolutely,” he said, hugging me to him.

At Brown, Jared seemed to be back to his old self, which helped the unease surrounding me. Bibles from Hell, demons with criminals-for-hire, antagonistic angels—trying to make sense of it all only created more questions.

I snapped out of my daze when I saw Jared’s expression. “See you at one thirty?” I asked.

Ryan passed us as he walked into the classroom, nodding to Jared. I noticed Jared watch him for a long moment, and then he looked into my eyes.

“Nina,” he said, a bit nervous. “I’m sorry about earlier. It won’t happen again.”

“You’ve already said that,” I said, pulling up one corner of my mouth.

Guilt displayed across Jared’s face. “I know. I just don’t think that I was clear.”

“You were clear. Consider it forgotten.”

His face seemed to relax, then, and he kissed me once more. “I’ll have your things back in your room. I’ll meet you there when you get back.”

I nodded and watched him walk down the hall. Before he turned the corner, he looked back at me and smiled. I waved and extended the handle of my bag, continuing to my seat.

“I came by your room about nine last night. You weren’t there,” Ryan said in a hushed voice, tapping his pen on my desk.

“I was sick last night. I stayed with Jared.”

Ryan’s face turned concerned. “You could have stayed here. I could have kept an eye on you.”

I smiled, knowing he was sincere. I appreciated his attempt to repair our friendship. The bitterness from before was absent from his face, and sitting beside him felt right again.

“I’m fine, now. It was just a bad hangover. I didn’t feel well all day.”

“Yeah, I didn’t feel the greatest, either,” he said, shaking his head.

“And yet you offer to take care of me? That would be a sad sight, both of us lying around, puking our guts out,” I laughed, shaking my head.

Ryan chuckled, taking my paper when the professor instructed the class to pass them to the end of the row. During lecture, a small square of paper landed on my desk. I smiled and pulled open the folds.

It was in Ryan’s chicken scratch.

Will you go to lunch w/me? (circle one)

I’ll lose my appetite if I have to sit across from you.

I already have lunch plans w/my husband.

Of course, I need to practice my slogans.