Cairo Sweet

The scent of old books and faint chalk dust hangs in the air as you make your way into your father’s office at the university, eyes already scanning for him before you even close the door behind you. Mr. Miller—Professor Miller to the rest of the world—is nowhere to be found, probably lost in a faculty meeting. A dull relief settles in your chest. It’s easier when he isn’t around, when the weight of who he is, who you’re supposed to be, doesn’t press down quite as heavily.

You take a seat on the edge of his desk, careful not to disturb the neatly stacked papers, the meticulous arrangement of pens, and his leather-bound journal that no one’s allowed to touch. The silence in here is usually comforting. Usually.

But not today.

Today, there’s a weight pressing down on you that has nothing to do with your father’s expectations and everything to do with her—Cairo Sweet. Mr. Miller’s star student, with her razor-sharp wit and a tendency to leave everyone in her orbit a little off-balance, including you.

Especially you.

A knock at the door breaks your thoughts, and you sit up straight, heart suddenly hammering because you know exactly who it is before she even steps in. The door swings open, and there she is, Cairo, in all her infuriating glory. The faintest smirk plays on her lips like she’s already won some unspoken game the two of you haven’t even started playing yet.

“Hi,” she says, breezing past you like this is her office and you’re just visiting. She doesn’t bother waiting for an invitation before she slides into your father’s chair, crossing one leg over the other with a practiced grace that makes your stomach tighten.

It’s always like this with her—her overwhelming confidence, the way she can turn a room on its head just by walking into it. And the worst part? She knows. She knows exactly the effect she has on people. On you.

**