CHAPTER 8: TOO CLOSE TO WALK AWAY
688 Words
The entire weekend passed without a single message from Ethan.
No unexpected encounters.
No lingering glances.
Nothing.
The silence should have made things easier.
Instead, it made everything worse.
By Monday morning, I was tired of pretending I didn't care. Unfortunately, the moment I entered Ethan's lecture hall, my determination disappeared completely.
He was already there.
Standing near the front desk, reviewing notes.
For a second, his eyes lifted.
And found mine.
The air seemed to leave my lungs.
Then, just as quickly, he looked away.
As though nothing had happened.
As though the past few weeks had meant nothing.
The rejection stung more than I wanted to admit.
The lecture felt endless. Ethan remained distant, professional, and frustratingly unreadable. By the time class ended, I was more confused than ever.
I waited until most of the students had left before gathering my things.
That was when I heard it.
"Lily."
My heart immediately betrayed me.
Slowly, I turned around.
Ethan was standing beside the door.
Waiting.
For me.
The sight alone was enough to erase every angry thought I'd had about him.
"We need to talk."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
Without waiting for an answer, he walked out into the hallway.
I followed.
Of course I followed.
The hallway was nearly empty. Most students had already left for lunch.
Ethan stopped near a quiet corner of the building where nobody usually came.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
I crossed my arms.
"What exactly are we talking about?"
His jaw tightened.
"Lucas."
Of course.
Lucas again.
I let out a frustrated laugh.
"Why are you so interested in Lucas?"
The question hit harder than I expected.
Something flashed across Ethan's face.
Something raw.
Something dangerously close to honesty.
Then it disappeared.
"Because every time I see him, he's touching you."
My breath caught.
The words hung between us.
Heavy.
Unexpected.
Real.
For the first time, Ethan hadn't sounded like a professor.
He sounded like a man.
A jealous man.
The realization sent my pulse racing.
"Lucas is my friend."
The answer came immediately.
Firm.
Certain.
"Nothing has ever happened between us."
Ethan stared at me.
As though searching for any sign that I was lying.
When he found none, something inside him seemed to relax.
Only slightly.
But I noticed.
I always noticed.
The silence stretched between us again.
This time it felt different.
Closer.
Dangerous.
Ethan took a step forward.
Not enough to touch.
Just enough to make my heart forget its job.
His gaze dropped briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes.
The movement lasted less than a second.
Yet it changed everything.
Neither of us spoke.
Neither of us moved.
The distance between us suddenly felt impossible to ignore.
I could hear my own heartbeat.
Could hear his breathing.
Could feel every ounce of tension that had been building between us for weeks.
Then Ethan lifted a hand.
Slowly.
Carefully.
As though giving me time to stop him.
His fingers brushed a strand of hair away from my face.
The simple gesture felt far more intimate than it should have.
My breath caught.
His eyes darkened.
And for one reckless moment, it looked like he was about to forget every rule he had ever lived by.
Then a voice shattered the moment.
"Ethan?"
We both froze.
A woman stood at the end of the hallway.
The same woman from before.
Her expression had gone completely pale.
Her eyes moved from Ethan.
To me.
Then back to Ethan.
Shock filled her face.
Followed by something much worse.
Recognition.
"You can't be serious," she whispered.
The words hit Ethan like a punch.
Every trace of warmth disappeared from his expression.
"Lily, go."
I blinked.
"What?"
"Now."
The urgency in his voice sent a chill down my spine.
Before I could ask another question, the woman took a step forward.
Her gaze never left me.
And what she said next made my entire world stop.
"Does she know who you really are?"
Silence.
Complete silence.
I looked at Ethan.
For the first time since meeting him, he looked afraid.
TO BE CONTINUED...
- Writer
