"Silence pressed like snow."
They ended up in the courtyard behind Branford College.
Silver didn't remember deciding to come here. One minute they were in the shadow of the residential college, her tears soaking into Eli's shirt, the next they were walking through the dark campus until they found a place that felt safe. Hidden.
The courtyard was empty. A small fountain sat dormant in the center, turned off for winter. Stone benches lined the perimeter, wet from the earlier rain. The buildings rose on all sides, creating walls that blocked out the noise from the rest of campus.
It was quiet here. The kind of heavy silence that pressed down like fresh snow.
Silver sat on one of the benches, not caring that the cold seeped through her dress. Eli sat beside her, close enough that their shoulders touched but not crowding her. Just present.
