Chapter 86. Chef’s Kiss: pt. 3

We stepped through the heavy glass doors of the academy together, the cool air inside hitting my face. I lingered in the corridor just beyond the main hall while Elliot disappeared down the long stretch toward Mr. Charles’s office. The moment the door closed behind him, I started pacing—five steps one way, five steps back, fingers twisting the thin fake gold chain around my neck.

Minutes stretched into forever. Every time I heard footsteps I froze, heart slamming against my ribs, only to realize it was someone else—a student rushing past with a knife roll, a staff member carrying folders. My palms were damp again. I wiped them on my trousers for the tenth time.

Then the door opened.

Elliot stepped out, face unreadable, shoulders relaxed in that way that made my stomach drop straight through the floor. He wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t frowning either. Just… blank.

My throat closed. “Why do you look like that?” The words came out too fast, too high. “He disagreed?”