“Oh, uh, I did it. I’m sorry if it isn’t—”

“It looks amazing,” she assures me. She tips her head to Reagan. “It needs to be a little darker to read at the back of the house, but it suits you. Great job today. See you tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Dr. Rossen.”

When she’s gone, Reagan grabs my hand and squeals. “You did it.”

“That woman is scary. Who is she?”

“She’s the director.”

“Well, she is not someone I want to cross.”

“She’s made more than one person cry since she took over last year. Come on, let me buy you coffee as a thank you.”

We stay on campus and go to University Hall. It’s busy with a late afternoon rush, but we order from the café and find a small table near the door.

“I’m so relieved that’s over.”

“Don’t you have two real shows this weekend?”

“Yes, but the rehearsal is the only time I really get nervous. It’s harder to be on when you’re staring out into an empty theater.”

“I so don’t get that.”

She smiles. “Thank you again. You might have been fleeing the Heath situation, but it benefited me greatly.”

“Anytime.” I take a sip of my coffee. “So, are we going to talk about that thing you said last night?”

She looks down to the table. “I was hoping we could pretend I never said a peep.”

“Like you’ve been trying to pretend you don’t have a thing for my brother all semester?”

“Longer than that,” she mumbles.

I’m grinning ear to ear when she finally looks up at me. “I think you should go for it. He and Taryn are done for good. She’s transferring at the end of the semester. Now’s your shot.”

“I don’t know. Now that you and I are so close, wouldn’t it be weird?”

I consider it for a few moments. “No, I don’t think so. Not unless we make it weird.”

“It’s probably not even worth worrying about. Honestly, he hasn’t noticed me in the three years we’ve known each other. I don’t think he sees me like that.”

“Only one way to find out.”

“Listen to you, dishing out advice while you’re hiding from your boyfriend.”

“I’m not hiding… I’m giving us some time to breathe.”

“And?”

“I prefer breathing his air.”

I turn my phone on silent, stuff it in a desk drawer, and bury myself in schoolwork all afternoon. I don’t allow myself to think about anything else. That is until a pounding on my door breaks my concentration. My heart is in my throat waiting for Heath’s voice on the other side, but it’s Adam that calls, “Ginny, open up.”

I scramble off my bed and fling the door open. “Hey, what are you doing here?”