CHAPTER 2: WHAT HIS EYES REFUSED TO SAY
1057 Words
The walk to Professor Hayes's office felt longer than it should have.
With every step, my heartbeat seemed to grow louder.
Students passed me in the hallway, laughing, talking, living their lives.
Meanwhile, I felt as though I were walking toward something I couldn't explain.
Something dangerous.
Something I should avoid.
Yet for some reason, I couldn't stop myself.
When I finally reached his office door, I froze.
Professor Ethan Hayes.
The name alone was enough to make my stomach tighten.
I wasn't nervous around people.
I never had been.
Presentations?
Easy.
Exams?
Manageable.
Speaking in front of hundreds of students?
Not a problem.
But Ethan Hayes somehow made me forget how to breathe.
Taking a slow breath, I knocked.
"Come in."
His voice drifted through the door.
Calm.
Deep.
Controlled.
I pushed the door open.
The office was quiet.
Too quiet.
Books filled the shelves from floor to ceiling.
A coffee mug sat beside a stack of papers.
The scent of coffee and old books lingered in the air.
And standing by the window was Ethan Hayes.
His back faced me.
One hand rested in his pocket.
The afternoon sunlight outlined his broad shoulders.
For a brief moment, he looked less like a professor and more like a man carrying the weight of an entire world.
Then he turned.
And my thoughts vanished.
Those eyes.
There was something about them.
Something that made me feel seen.
Not looked at.
Seen.
"Close the door, Miss Carter."
My fingers tightened around my notebook.
I obeyed immediately.
The click of the door echoed through the room.
Suddenly the space felt smaller.
Warmer.
More dangerous.
Ethan gestured toward the chair across from his desk.
"Sit."
I sat.
He remained standing.
Watching me.
The silence stretched between us.
Long.
Uncomfortable.
Heavy.
I looked down first.
Why was he looking at me like that?
As though he was trying to remember something.
Or someone.
"You seem distracted lately."
His voice broke the silence.
I blinked.
"What?"
"In class."
My cheeks warmed.
"Oh."
Brilliant answer, Lily.
"Oh."
His lips twitched.
Almost a smile.
Almost.
"You usually participate more."
I frowned.
"You noticed?"
The moment the words left my mouth, I wanted to disappear.
Of course he noticed.
He was a professor.
That was his job.
But Ethan's expression changed slightly.
"Yes."
Just one word.
Yet somehow it lingered.
As though it meant more.
As though he had noticed far more than he should have.
The realization sent a strange warmth through my chest.
Dangerous.
Dangerous.
Dangerous.
I repeated the word inside my head like a warning.
Because that was exactly what this was becoming.
Dangerous.
"Your grades are excellent."
I looked up.
That wasn't what I expected him to say.
"You called me here to discuss my grades?"
Something unreadable flashed across his face.
For a second, he almost looked disappointed.
Then it disappeared.
"No."
The answer came too quickly.
My heart skipped.
Then why was I here?
Ethan moved behind his desk.
Creating distance.
The movement should have relieved me.
Instead, I hated it.
Which made absolutely no sense.
He opened a file.
Pretended to read it.
Pretended.
Because every few seconds, his eyes found mine again.
And every single time, my pulse betrayed me.
What was wrong with me?
He was my professor.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Then why did every glance feel like a conversation?
Why did every silence feel unfinished?
Why did I feel like there were words trapped between us?
Words neither of us were willing to say.
"What do you want after graduation?"
The question surprised me.
I hesitated.
Nobody had ever asked me that before.
Not really.
People asked about jobs.
Careers.
Money.
But not what I wanted.
"I want to help people."
His eyes softened.
Only slightly.
But I noticed.
I always noticed.
"Why?"
The question was gentle.
Unexpectedly gentle.
I swallowed.
"Because I know what it feels like when nobody helps."
The room became silent.
His jaw tightened.
A strange look crossed his face.
Pain.
Regret.
Recognition.
Then it vanished.
And suddenly I wondered if I wasn't the only person carrying old wounds.
Maybe Ethan Hayes had scars too.
The thought made him seem human.
Dangerously human.
Not a professor.
Not a title.
Just a man.
A man with tired eyes.
A man who seemed lonely even when surrounded by people.
A man I should stop thinking about immediately.
Unfortunately, my heart wasn't cooperating.
"Miss Carter."
I looked up.
The way he said my name should not have affected me.
Yet somehow it always did.
"You should be careful."
I frowned.
"About what?"
For a moment, he looked like he wanted to answer honestly.
Then the walls returned.
The distance.
The professionalism.
"The university can be complicated."
That wasn't an answer.
And we both knew it.
Before I could respond, a knock interrupted us.
The atmosphere shattered instantly.
A woman entered without waiting for permission.
She was beautiful.
The kind of beautiful that made people stare.
Elegant.
Confident.
Perfect.
Her gaze landed on me.
Then shifted to Ethan.
Something cold flashed across her face.
Not anger.
Not surprise.
Something worse.
Recognition.
As though she already knew exactly who I was.
"Ethan."
Her voice was smooth.
Comfortable.
Familiar.
Far too familiar.
I hated how much that bothered me.
I hated the sudden jealousy twisting inside my chest.
Because I had no right to feel jealous.
None.
Ethan straightened immediately.
The warmth disappeared from his eyes.
The softness vanished.
Professor Hayes was back.
"Miss Carter was just leaving."
The words hit harder than they should have.
Just leaving.
As though this conversation meant nothing.
As though I meant nothing.
I gathered my things quickly.
Embarrassed by how disappointed I felt.
"Thank you for your time, Professor."
Professional.
Polite.
Safe.
Exactly how things should be.
I walked toward the door.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Then I heard the woman speak.
Quietly.
Almost whispering.
"Is she the one?"
My hand froze on the doorknob.
The room fell silent.
Every muscle in my body tensed.
The one?
The one what?
The one who annoyed him?
The one who disappointed him?
The one he was investigating?
My heart pounded.
I waited.
Desperately.
For an answer.
Any answer.
But Ethan said nothing.
Not a single word.
And somehow his silence terrified me more than any answer could have.
TO BE CONTINUED...
- Writer
