And ran straight into Drew James at the corner. Lionel's best friend.
He took one look at my ashen face and, meaning well, steered me into Lionel's office.
Lionel's reaction was instant. He pulled the woman into his arms, shielding her behind him.
Then he grabbed the photo frame off his desk and hurled it at us, his expression black with rage.
"Get out!"
Drew winced and pulled me back through the door.
I had no room to notice the words stuck on the tip of his tongue.
All I could see was the shattered photo on the floor.
It was our first picture together, Lionel's and mine.
That day, he'd braved all the gossip to confess his feelings to me, right by the lake on campus. Drew had taken the photo for us.
Lionel had treasured it ever since.
No matter which office he moved to, that photo always sat in the upper right corner of his desk.
Now he'd smashed it to pieces. For an intern.
The chime of my phone dragged me back.
I unlocked the screen. Another transfer.
Five hundred thousand.
That meant sorry.
The office door opened at the same moment.
When his eyes met my reddened ones, something flickered across Lionel's dark expression. A crack, just for an instant.
He called my name.