I was already halfway down the hallway when I heard Ryan’s voice behind me, calm, deliberate, full of that quiet control he always carried.
“Ella, wait,” he said, and I stopped, gripping the railing, pretending I wasn’t trembling.
“I don’t have time for this,” I muttered, trying to keep my tone even, trying to act like it was nothing.
“You always have time for this,” he said, stepping closer, the distance between us shrinking with every word. “You just don’t want to admit it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, glancing sideways, feeling the pull in my chest that told me he knew exactly what I was feeling.
He smirked faintly, the kind of smirk that made it impossible to think straight. “Don’t lie to me, Ella. You feel it every time you see me, every time I’m near you, e
