CHAPTER 4: A PLACE WE SHOULDN'T BE
897 Words
The next morning, I stared at the message on my phone for the hundredth time.
"Try not to stare tomorrow."
No name.
No explanation.
Just one sentence that had completely destroyed my peace of mind.
There was no proof Ethan Hayes had sent it. Yet deep down, I already knew. Nobody else would have written something so simple and somehow managed to make my heart race because of it.
I hated him for that.
And maybe I hated myself a little too.
The entire day passed in a blur. Every class felt longer than usual, every conversation sounded distant, and every time my phone vibrated, my stupid heart hoped it was another message.
It never was.
By evening, I found myself standing outside the university conference building for the research workshop Ethan had invited me to.
A mistake.
Coming here was definitely a mistake.
The room wasn't crowded yet. Only a handful of students had arrived, busy chatting among themselves. I slipped into a seat near the back, hoping to remain unnoticed.
That plan lasted exactly thirty seconds.
Because the moment Ethan walked into the room, his eyes found mine.
Not the students in the front row.
Not the professors beside him.
Me.
Just me.
The look lasted barely a second before he looked away.
But it was enough.
Enough to make my stomach tighten.
Enough to make me wonder if he had spent the entire day thinking about that message too.
The workshop began.
For two hours, Ethan discussed research methods and case studies. Everyone listened carefully, taking notes and asking questions.
I tried.
I really did.
Unfortunately, concentrating became impossible whenever he walked past my table.
Every time he stopped beside me, I became aware of ridiculous things.
The scent of his cologne.
The sound of his voice.
The way his sleeves were rolled up.
The tiny crease that appeared near his eyes whenever he concentrated.
Things I absolutely should not have noticed.
Things I definitely shouldn't have remembered.
Yet somehow I remembered all of them.
At one point, Ethan stopped behind my chair while reviewing our notes.
His hand rested on the edge of my desk.
Close enough that I could see the veins beneath his skin.
Close enough that I became painfully aware of how little distance existed between us.
"You missed a detail here."
His voice was low.Professional.
Only for me.
I looked down at my notebook.
But I couldn't focus on the page.
Not when his shoulder was almost brushing mine.
Not when I could feel his presence everywhere.
Not when my heartbeat had become embarrassingly loud.
I quickly corrected the mistake and nodded.
"Thank you."
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then Ethan stepped back.
The loss of his presence felt immediate.
And that realization frightened me.
The workshop finally ended just after sunset.
Most students left in groups, laughing and making plans for dinner.
I was gathering my things when I realized I'd left my notebook behind.
Perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
Muttering under my breath, I returned to the conference room.
The lights were already off.
Only one remained on near the front.
And standing beneath it was Ethan.
Alone.
Of course he was.
The universe clearly hated me.
I quickly grabbed my notebook.
"Forgot something?"
His voice echoed through the empty room.
I turned slowly.
"Apparently."
A faint smile touched his lips.
A real one this time.
Not the almost-smile from before.
The sight caught me completely off guard.
For a moment, he didn't look like Professor Hayes.
He looked younger.
Warmer.
Human.
Dangerously attractive.
The realization hit me so hard I immediately looked away.
Unfortunately, Ethan noticed.
Because of course he did.
"What happened?"
My eyes widened.
"What do you mean?"
"You stopped looking at me."
Heat rushed into my face.
There was absolutely no safe response to that question.
None.
"I didn't realize I was."
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
"You did."
The confidence in his voice annoyed me.
Mostly because he was right.
A strange silence settled between us.
Not awkward.
Not uncomfortable.
Just... full.
Like there were a thousand things neither of us could say.
The evening sunlight streamed through the windows, painting golden shadows across the room.
For some reason, everything felt softer.
More intimate.
More dangerous.I should leave.
Immediately.
Instead, I stayed.
So did he.
Neither of us seemed willing to move first.
"Lily."
My breath caught.
My name.
Not Miss Carter.
Not a formal title.
Just Lily.
The sound of it felt different coming from him.
Warmer.
More personal.
More dangerous.
Neither of us spoke for several seconds.
Then Ethan seemed to realize what he'd done.
The moment shattered instantly.
The walls returned.
The distance returned.
Professor Hayes returned.
His jaw tightened.
"Good night."
I swallowed.
"Good night, Professor."
The title felt wrong somehow.
But I forced myself to walk away.
Step by step.
Without looking back.
Without stopping.
Without giving myself a chance to stay.
Yet just before reaching the door, I heard him quietly say something.
So quietly I almost missed it.
Almost.
"I should have stayed away from you."
I froze.
My hand tightened around the doorknob.
Slowly, I turned around.
But Ethan was already gone.
And for the first time, I wasn't sure if I'd actually heard him.
Or if my heart had simply invented the words it desperately wanted to hear.
TO BE CONTINUED...
- Writer
