Not Supposed to Feel This

Too Close (Luca's POV)

Ethan Scott stares.

A lot.

He probably thinks he’s subtle about it.

He’s not.

Today was no different.

The hallway was loud—crowded, filled with voices that blurred into each other. I barely paid attention. I never really do.

Not when I can feel it.

That stare.

Sharp. Focused.

Familiar.

I didn’t have to look to know it was him.

I always know.

Voices shifted around me, growing slightly louder.

My name came up.

Again.

I didn’t react.

There’s no point.

People talk. They always do. Most of the time, it’s not even worth acknowledging.

Still… I listened.

“He’s honestly just overhyped.”

Sabrina.

Of course.

“And why would he even be gay? It’s not like any girl would want a soft, curvy boy as their man.”

There it was.

Predictable.

Careless.

Loud enough for me to hear.

I didn’t look at her.

Didn’t give her what she wanted.

Because that’s what it always is, isn’t it?

A reaction.

Attention.

Validation.

And I don’t owe anyone that.

But I did look at him.

Just for a second.

Ethan wasn’t laughing.

Wasn’t agreeing.

Wasn’t defending me either.

Just watching.

Like he was trying to figure something out.

Something he didn’t understand.

Something about me.

Or—

Something about himself.

The bell rang, cutting everything short.

Perfect timing.

By the time I got to class, most of the seats were already taken.

Except two.

Ethan's spot and another next to it.

I paused for half a second.

Then sat down.

This would be interesting.

He walked in not long after.

Stopped the moment he saw me.

Just for a second.

But I caught it.

I always do.

There are empty reactions people miss—

I don’t.

He could’ve asked someone else to move.

They would have.

Ethan Scott doesn’t get told no.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he sat beside me.

Trying to look unaffected.

Trying a little too hard.

I almost smiled.

A few seconds passed in silence.

Then—

His hand brushed mine.

He pulled away like it burned him.

Fast.

Instinctive.

Honest.

That was the first real reaction he gave me all day.

Interesting.

I let the silence stretch for a moment before speaking.

“You stare a lot for someone who doesn’t like me.”

It wasn’t an accusation.

Just an observation.

He froze.

Didn’t respond.

Didn’t even try.

But I saw it.

The tension.

The heat creeping up his neck.

The way his focus shifted—like he didn’t know where to look anymore.

So he does feel it.

I leaned forward slightly.

Not toward him.

Past him.

Close enough to notice if he’d move.

He didn’t.

Not even a little.

That answered more than anything he could’ve said.

I grabbed what I needed from the desk behind him and leaned back, settling into my seat like nothing had happened.

Like I hadn’t just tested him.

Because that’s what this is, isn’t it?

A reaction.

A pattern.

A question he doesn’t want to answer.

Ethan Scott doesn’t like me.

I know that.

But that’s not the interesting part.

The interesting part is—

He can’t seem to stop looking at me anyway.