Rebecca left with anger in her steps, refusing Joseph's help as she limped away. Her eyes were sharp when she passed me, full of blame and pain she didn't know where to place.
"Scarlett, you did it on purpose," she said through clenched teeth.
I looked at her and kept my voice steady. "I'm sorry. It wasn't intentional." My heart was still unsettled from the fall, my body reacting before my mind had fully caught up.
Joseph guided her out after that, though she resisted the whole way. The corridor finally fell quiet, but the tension stayed behind like a heavy breath that wouldn't leave the room.
Soon after, Ashton came out of his office with a first aid kit in hand. The moment his eyes landed on me, everything else seemed to fade from his focus. He knelt beside me without a word, close enough that the air around him felt steady and grounding.
"Give me your hand," he said.
