Kevin wrapped up the discussion section at 10:47 exactly, dismissing the class with a reminder about the midterm next week. Jordan stood and stretched his arms overhead, feeling his shoulders pop in a way that would have hurt like hell two days ago. Now it just felt good.
Kyle packed up his laptop. "So. Eight oāclock. Brass Monkey in Koreatown."
"Yeah, Iāll be there."
"You need a ride or you got your own thing?"
"Iāll drive myself."
Kyle slung his backpack over one shoulder. "Cool. See you tonight then."
"See you."
Kyle headed for the door, stopping briefly to hold it open for a group of girls leaving. Jordan grabbed his phone off the desk and checked the screen.
Three messages waited.
Mom: Call me when you get a chance sweetie! I want to hear all about this girlfriend Cassie mentioned!
Leo: still good for tonight right??? I already told kumiko weāre coming
And one from Chloe, sent thirty seconds ago.
Chloe: Stay.
Jordanās thumb hovered over the screen.
He looked up. Chloe sat in the back row still, her hoodie pulled up, talking to Alexis and Kumiko in low voices. Her eyes flicked to Jordan for half a second before darting away.
Jordan sat back down.
The room emptied out slowly. Students filed past his desk in pairs and groups, their voices fading into the hallway. Kevin gathered his notes at the front, stuffing papers into his messenger bag without looking up.
Alexis stood first. "Come on, Kumi. I need coffee before my next class."
"But what aboutā"
"Now."
Kumiko pouted but grabbed her ita-bag anyway. The keychains jingled as she hoisted it onto her shoulder. "Fine. But youāre buying."
"I always buy."
"Because youāre rich."
The two of them walked toward the door. Kumiko waved at Jordan as she passed his desk. "See you tonight, Jordan!"
Jordan waved back.
Alexis didnāt say anything. Just kept walking.
The door closed behind them with a soft click.
Kevin looked up from his bag. "You guys need something?"
Chloe stood and walked down the steps, her sneakers silent on the tile. "Yeah, I had a question about the aggregate demand elasticity stuff from Mondayās lecture."
Kevinās face lit up the way it always did when someone actually cared about the material. "Oh yeah? What part?"
"The substitution effect calculation. Iām not sure Iām doing it right."
"Let me see your notes."
Chloe pulled out her notebook and opened it to a page covered in neat handwriting and margin sketches of flowers. She held it out to Kevin.
Kevin pushed his glasses up and studied the page. "Okay, so the issue here is youāre confusing real income effect with substitution effect. Theyāre related but distinct. Here, let me show you."
He grabbed a marker and started writing on the whiteboard, launching into an explanation that involved way too many Greek letters and not enough normal words.
Chloe stood next to him, nodding along like she understood everything.
Jordan knew she didnāt actually need help with economics. She sat three rows ahead in their shared Econ lecture and never once looked confused. This was a performance.
Kevin kept talking. Chloe kept nodding. Jordan sat at his desk and watched the clock on the wall tick forward.
Five minutes passed.
Then ten.
Kevin finally capped his marker. "Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, totally. Thanks, Kevin."
"No problem. Office hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays if you need more help."
"Iāll remember that."
Kevin grabbed his bag and his coffee. "Alright, I gotta run. Lock the door behind you when you leave."
"Will do."
Kevin headed out. The door closed. His footsteps faded down the hallway.
The room went silent.
Chloe turned around and looked at Jordan. Her face gave away nothing. Tired eyes. Tight jaw. Hoodie still pulled up over her ponytail.
Jordan waited.
"Do you have any more classes today?" Chloe asked.
"No."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
She nodded slowly. Her fingers twisted the hem of her hoodie. "Are you hungry? Or something?"
Jordanās stomach answered before his brain could. A low growl that echoed off the empty walls.
Chloeās mouth twitched. Almost a smile. Not quite.
"I could eat," Jordan said.
"Thereās leftovers at home. If you want."
Jordanās chest tightened. Home. She said home like it was a place they both belonged.
"Hell yeah," Jordan said. "I love Korean food."
"I know."
Chloe grabbed her backpack and slung it over one shoulder. She walked toward the door without looking back.
Jordan stood. Grabbed his notebook. Shoved his pens in his pocket.
Chloe reached the door and pushed it open. The hallway noise flooded in.
She stopped in the doorway and glanced back over her shoulder.
Her eyes met his.
Jordan understood immediately. She wanted him to follow her. Walk with her. Not behind her like some creep, but beside her like they were together.
Even though they werenāt together.
Even though everything was broken and wrong and heād lied to her face about something so stupid it made his brain hurt to think about.
Jordan walked up the aisle. His shoes squeaked against the tile.
Chloe turned and headed down the hallway. Jordan fell into step beside her, matching her pace. Not too close. Not too far.
They walked in silence.
The hallway opened into the main quad. January sun streamed down through the palm trees lining the walkways. Students sprawled out on the grass, textbooks open, earbuds in, soaking up the warmth.
Jordanās phone buzzed in his pocket. He ignored it.
Chloe led them toward the north parking structure. The same structure where Jordan parked his Civic every morning. Where Chloe parked her identical Civic three spaces away.
They climbed the ramp to the third level. Concrete walls closed in on both sides. The air smelled like exhaust and hot asphalt.
Chloeās white Civic sat in its usual spot near the elevator.
She stopped next to the driverās side door and pulled her keys from her backpack. The pink keychain with the cat charm dangled from her fingers.
Jordan waited.
Chloe unlocked the car. Opened the door. Threw her backpack onto the passenger seat.
Then she turned around and looked at him.