Go back to your room

I leave Maya’s dorm alone and start making my way back across campus. The evening air feels noticeably cooler than it did earlier, but I barely notice it. My mind keeps replaying what happened in her room, and the guilt I’d been trying to keep under control comes rushing back.

I pull out my phone and see a message from my girlfriend. I stare at it without opening it. Earlier, I had convinced myself that studying with Maya was harmless. Then walking her home was harmless. Now I’m walking back to my dorm knowing I crossed another line.

I finally put my phone away and keep walking. The campus is still busy around me, students laughing and heading toward parties, but I feel completely disconnected from all of it.