Finding myself in Lucas's hospital room, I sent a message to Daniel.
Fingers trembling, keys hard to hit. Each stroke on the keyboard unsure.
"We need to talk. Can you meet me at the quad? 30 minutes?"
He responded immediately.
"Of course. Is everything okay?"
"Just need to talk. See you soon."
Staring at the screen, I held it like it might vanish. Across the room, Lucas stayed propped on pillows, quiet - his gaze sharp, catching every flicker of mine.
"You don't have to do this," he said quietly. "You can change your mind. Tell me to forget the whole thing. I'll understand."
"No." I stood up. "I need to. Because you're right. I can't keep going to Washington while thinking about you. Can't be with Daniel while wondering what this is. It's not fair to anyone."
"Brooklyn - "
"Ten days. You asked for ten days. I'm giving them to you. But first I need to end things cleanly."
His head dipped once. Silence after that. Eyes stayed on me as I walked away.
