I got there early. Way earlier than I needed to. The place is dead quiet at that hour, lights barely on, no idiots around, no noise. Good. Less distractions. I’m leaning against the wall like I don’t care, but I’ve been waiting. I know her schedule by now. Two years is more than enough to memorize that—two years of seeing her in pieces, every six months, every damn internship rotation, like that was all I was allowed to have.

When I heard the door opening, I move before I even think about it.

My hand grabs her wrist the second she steps in and I pull her with me, straight down the side corridor and out the back door. No hesitation. No space for her to slip past me like she always does. The door shuts behind us and it’s quiet again, just us, just like I wanted.

“Now I’m here for real,” I say, voice low, rough, almost a whisper. “Graduated. Same agency. Same level.”

I look at her, really look this time. No more leaving. No more six-month gaps. No more watching her walk out while I go back to U.A. like nothing. She knows I'm not playing around when the topic is her, I had always been vocal about it. Even though she keeps me at an arms-length.