CHAPTER 10: THE RUMOR THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
697 Words
CHAPTER 10: THE RUMOR THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
The moment I stepped onto campus the next morning, I knew something was wrong.
People were staring.
Not casually.
Not normally.
Whispering.
Watching.
Waiting.
My stomach tightened.
As I walked through the main courtyard, conversations seemed to stop whenever I passed. Students exchanged glances before quickly looking away.
The feeling was unsettling.
By the time I reached my first class, I was completely on edge.
Then I saw it.
A photo.
My heart nearly stopped.
Someone had taken a picture during the storm.
The image wasn't clear, but it was clear enough.
Ethan holding me.
His arm around my waist.
Me looking up at him.
The moment frozen forever.
My blood ran cold.
"What the hell?"
The photo had already spread through multiple student group chats.
Rumors were moving faster than facts.
Some students claimed we were dating.
Others insisted they had seen us together before.
Each version became worse than the last.
I felt sick.
The classroom suddenly seemed too small.
Too crowded.
Too loud.
Then Ethan walked in.
Instant silence.
Every student turned toward him.
Including me.
For one brief second, his eyes found mine.
And immediately, he understood.
Someone had shown him the photo too.
His expression remained calm.
Professional.
Unshaken.
But I noticed the slight tightening of his jaw.
The anger hidden beneath the surface.
The lecture began.
Nobody listened.
Nobody cared about psychology.
Everyone cared about the rumor.
Including me.
By the end of class, my head was pounding.
I packed my things quickly and rushed out before anyone could stop me.
Unfortunately, someone did.
"Lily."
My heart instantly recognized the voice.
I turned.
Ethan stood alone in the hallway.
The moment our eyes met, every emotion I'd been trying to suppress came rushing back.
The storm.
The photo.
The way he'd caught me.
The way he'd looked at me.
Everything.
"We need to talk."
I laughed bitterly.
"That's becoming your favorite sentence."
Something flickered across his face.
Regret.
Then he glanced around the hallway.
Students were everywhere.
Watching.
Listening.
Waiting.
Without warning, Ethan gently took my wrist.
My breath caught.
The contact lasted only seconds.
Yet it felt impossible to ignore.
He quickly led me toward an empty stairwell.
A place hidden from curious eyes.
A place where nobody could hear us.
The moment the door closed behind us, silence filled the space.
My heartbeat became painfully loud.
Ethan released my wrist immediately.
As though reminding himself of every boundary that existed between us.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then finally—
"I'm sorry."
The words shocked me.
Ethan Hayes never apologized.
For anything.
Yet there he was.
Looking genuinely frustrated.
Genuinely guilty.
"This isn't your fault," he continued quietly.
"You don't know that."
His eyes met mine.
And for the first time, I saw how exhausted he looked.
As though he'd spent the entire night fighting a battle nobody else could see.
"Lily."
The way he said my name made my chest ache.
"Nothing happened."
The words should have comforted me.
Instead, they hurt.
Because something had happened.
Maybe not physically.
But emotionally?
Something had absolutely happened.
And we both knew it.
The silence stretched between us.
Dangerous.
Heavy.
Honest.
Then Ethan took a step closer.
Not enough to touch.
Just enough to make my pulse race.
Just enough to make breathing difficult.
His eyes never left mine.
Neither did mine.
The space between us suddenly felt too small.
The air felt too warm.
Everything felt too intense.
For one reckless moment, it looked like he was about to say something.
Something important.
Something that would change everything.
Then his phone rang.
The sound shattered the moment instantly.
Ethan closed his eyes briefly.
Almost angrily.
As though the interruption had cost him something.
When he looked at the screen, his expression hardened.
Claire.
The name flashed across the display.
My stomach dropped.
Ethan declined the call immediately.
Then another message appeared.
His face went pale.
"What is it?" I asked.
For a moment, he didn't answer.
Then he looked directly at me.
And what he said next made my blood run cold.
"The university has opened an investigation."
TO BE CONTINUED...
- Writer
