Emma

I step aside quickly, making sure not to bump into her. I’d been moving so fast, so caught up in my own thoughts, that I hadn’t even noticed HR standing right there by the door until it was almost too late.

The photos are clenched tightly in my hand, the edges pressing into my palm as she smiles at me. But I don’t trust it, not even a little. 

She must have heard something. Maybe not everything… but enough.

“Oh, Miss Emma, I’m so sorry for being in your way.”

I force myself to calm my breathing, to smooth out the tension in my face. I give a small...