The campus was alive with the hum of students moving between classes, but the quad had a quieter, more intimate energy around the usual bench where Alex, Danny, Sarah, and Mike often gathered.
Alex had arrived only at lunch. He'd slept straight through, after helping Tisha reach her home the previous night and letting her recover in peace.
The memory of her exhaustion... her body finally yielding after the euphoric intensity of last night... was still vivid, lingering at the edges of his mind.
Danny, unsurprisingly, had been calling relentlessly all morning, trying every route to reach him.
By the time Alex finally arrived, lunch hour was in full swing, and Danny was practically vibrating in anticipation.
"Finally!" Danny exclaimed as Alex reached the bench, dropping his bag at his feet. "Where the hell have you been? Sleeping the morning away like a king, huh?"
