It hurts. Everything he says hurts and it isn't fair. The things he's telling her are beautiful: glimpses of his past and the people who have shaped him, theories of what this bond is and what it can mean for them. But despite how much she wants all of this to be true, she can't trust it. He doesn't know her; when he does, everything will be different.

"It sounds nice," she remarks, genuinely meaning it. Her fingers tighten around her phone and she closes her eyes, leaning her head back against the door. "...I should probably get back to work. I've got a stack of papers that won't grade themselves."

She's running again. It's what she does best.