When love cost me You

alk to about anything, laugh with over silly jokes, and rely on durin

w furrowed in concentration when grading papers, the way his lips twitch

possi

ad never shown any signs of feeling the same way. He was comfortable around her, yes, but t

iosity gna

the nearly empty staffroom,

een her fingers, "you should really think about getting a g

uddenly froze. The lighthearted comment shouldn't have affect

sing the notebook. "Oh?

Someone who can handle your

his head. "I don't

g his arm. "But seriously, i

ue. Yes, Lilian. You. But instead, he glanced away, mas

her disappointment. So, he re

different. That he'd mention someone who sounded a lot

cause he was offended, but because they reminded him of his own cowardice. She was sitting right ther

d he

lowing with Dennis's contact. She had been staring at it for

rself. Tell him how you f

isread everything? What if Dennis only saw her as a fri

through her hair. It wasn't like her to hesitate th

pping inside, holding a basket of folded laundry. "Y

efore shaking her

knowing smile playing on her

rt skipped a

ed, placing the laundry down. "I've alw

, stunned. "Mo

m. And didn't you say he's been busy with work lately? Why don't you g

outh to protest, bu

ve affected her, yet it did. Because

e her the courage to say what she had been holdin

bothered h

and She will have to fac

lways were now eerily silent. The last of the students had already gon

" she murmured, closing her lesson planner. She glanced at

e again?" she asked

his head. "No, I'm just f

the handle, a loud clap of thunder rumbled outside. Seconds later

glanced back at Dennis, who had a

k for a while," he said,

rned to her seat. "I s

ckled from the corner. "You two should take this as a sign," she

htly. "We just happen to fi

d, but he avoided

d. The rhythmic tapping of droplets against th

funny," she mused. "We've been working in the same place f

, slightly intrigued

everyday things... but never about ourselves." She turned to him, searching h

eant it as small talk or something deeper

times, what we want and what w

er head. "That

. "Not really.

g. The moment felt intimate, almost too personal. If he had ever wan

mp slightly. She laughed, brushing off her reaction. "I

er as she pulled out her

nce. Maybe he should s

ays, he let t

rain contin

silence between

again, they both rode home