CHAPTER FIFTEEN
1741 Words
(Ava’s POV)
The sunlight pouring through the blinds was merciless. Ava groaned, dragging the blanket over her head, wishing she could disappear into her mattress. She hadn’t slept much every time she closed her eyes, Ethan’s smirk followed her into her dreams.
Unfortunately, Maya was immune to subtlety.
“Spill,” her best friend sang from across the room.
Ava peeked out from under the blanket. “Spill what?”
Maya leaned against her desk, arms crossed, grinning like the cat who’d just caught the canary. “Don’t play dumb with me. You’ve got that look.”
“What look?” Ava snapped, sitting up.
“The look of someone who’s been texting a certain tall, dark, and irritating boy past midnight.”
Ava’s heart stopped. “I....I wasn’t....when did you even get back last night " she asked trying to change the subject
"I came back when you're under your duvet sexting Ethan" Maya laughed
"Oh God no!" ava screeched
“Oh my god, you so were!” Maya shrieked, throwing a pillow at her. “I knew it! I told you he’d get under your skin.”
“He’s not under my skin,” Ava muttered, hugging the pillow defensively.
Maya plopped down on the edge of her bed. “Right. That’s why you’re blushing right now like you just got caught sneaking out of a boy’s dorm.”
Ava buried her face in her hands. “Why are you like this?”
“Because I live for the drama,” Maya said proudly. “Now, tell me everything. Word for word. I need to know how much shameless flirting went on.”
“It wasn’t flirting,” Ava insisted, though her mind replayed every smug line Ethan had texted her. Sweet dreams, princess. Don’t dream about me too much.
Her cheeks burned hotter. Maya squealed. “Oh my god, you did dream about him!”
“I hate you,” Ava groaned, shoving her.
“No, you love me. And deep down…” Maya gave her a wicked grin. “You like him.”
Ava froze. The worst part was she couldn’t deny it out loud.
By afternoon, Ava decided her best option was avoidance. Avoid Ethan, avoid eye contact, avoid everything that made her pulse race when it shouldn’t.
Easier said than done.
She kept her head down in the library, praying he wouldn’t show up. She picked the farthest seat in lecture, hoping he wouldn’t notice. She even walked an extra block around campus just to dodge his usual hangout spot.
But somehow, like the universe was laughing at her, he still found her.
She’d just stepped out of the library, arms full of books, when a familiar voice drawled behind her.
“Skipping out early? I’m disappointed.”
Ava spun, almost dropping her books. Ethan leaned casually against a lamppost, hands shoved in his hoodie pocket, smirk firmly in place.
“Don’t you have better things to do than stalk me?” she snapped.
He grinned. “Not really. This is way more fun.”
Her jaw tightened. “You’re exhausting.”
“Funny, considering I kept you up last night.”
Ava’s cheeks flamed. “Ethan!”
Before she could retort further, another voice called her name.
Daniel.
She stiffened as he jogged up, his smile easy and warm. “Hey, Ava. I was hoping I’d catch you. Did you still want me to look over your essay draft?”
Ethan’s smirk sharpened. He didn’t move, didn’t say a word, just watched eyes glinting like he was already plotting how to make Daniel squirm again.
Ava swallowed hard, caught in the middle of two very different kinds of storms: Daniel’s patient steadiness and Ethan’s infuriating magnetism.
And for the first time, she wondered if maybe Maya was right.
Maybe she did like Ethan.
But god help her, she wasn’t ready to admit it.
Daniel’s presence shifted the air instantly. His easy warmth clashed with Ethan’s charged stillness, like fire brushing against ice. Ava hugged her books tighter to her chest, suddenly wishing she could vanish into the ground.
Daniel smiled at her. “I figured since you’ve been stressing about midterms, maybe I could help? I’ve got some notes that might come in handy.”
It was thoughtful. Sweet. Normal. Ava should’ve melted. But she didn’t get the chance, because Ethan spoke before she could answer.
“She doesn’t need help.”
Daniel arched a brow. “I wasn’t aware she already had a tutor.”
“I’m not a tutor,” Ethan said smoothly, stepping just close enough that Ava felt the brush of his shoulder. “But I know her well enough to say she’ll figure it out on her own.”
Ava’s pulse spiked. The way he said it wasn’t protective it was possessive.
Daniel’s polite smile tightened. “Sometimes even the smartest people could use someone to lean on.” His eyes flicked deliberately to Ava.
Ethan’s smirk sharpened. “She already has someone.”
Ava’s stomach dropped. Her face burned. This was spiraling fast.
“Okay!” she burst out, forcing a laugh that sounded way too high-pitched. “Thank you, Daniel, that’s really sweet. Maybe later? Right now, I… need air.”
Daniel gave her a nod, his gaze lingering a second too long before he finally walked away. Ethan watched him go, jaw tight, smirk gone.
The silence between them was suffocating.
Finally, Ava rounded on him. “What the hell was that?”
“What?” Ethan’s voice was deceptively calm.
“You basically marked your territory like.....like some wild animal!”
He tilted his head, amused. “Jealous?”
She sputtered. “Me? Jealous? You’re the one who turned it into a contest!”
Ethan stepped closer, his grin returning but this time softer, dangerous in a different way. “And yet… you didn’t walk away.”
Her heart hammered. She hated how close he was, how his voice dropped to that low, taunting murmur that made her knees weak.
“You think you know everything, don’t you?” she whispered.
His eyes locked on hers, all teasing gone now. “No. But I know you better than him.”
The words landed like a strike, leaving her speechless. She tried to look away, but Ethan reached out just the lightest brush of his fingers against her wrist, sending sparks up her arm.
“You feel it too,” he murmured.
Her breath caught. She wanted to deny it, wanted to shove him away. But the truth pressed hot and heavy in her chest, undeniable.
Instead, she tore her wrist free, clutching her books like a lifeline. “I don’t have time for this.”
And she walked away fast, before he could see the flush on her cheeks or the way her hands shook.
Behind her, Ethan’s low chuckle followed her down the path.
She hated that part of her wanted to turn back.
By the time Ava made it back to her dorm, she was a mess. Her heart was still racing, her wrist tingled where Ethan’s fingers had brushed her skin, and worst of all her mind kept replaying his words on a loop.
l feel it too.
She shoved the door open and threw her books on the desk with a little more force than necessary.
Maya, sprawled on her bed with a bag of chips and some crime doc playing on her laptop, looked up immediately. “Uh-oh. Somebody’s storming.”
Ava collapsed face-first into her pillow. “I hate him.”
Maya grinned, crunching down on a chip. “Which ‘him’? The sunshine boy or the broody nightmare?”
A muffled groan was all Ava gave.
“Okay,” Maya said, pausing the video. “Deets. Spill. Tell Auntie Maya everything.”
Ava turned her head just enough to glare at her. “You were right.”
Maya gasped, hand to her chest like she’d just been knighted. “Say it again, louder.”
“You were right!” Ava groaned, burying her face again.
Maya giggled, climbing off the bed and plopping next to her. “About what exactly? That Ethan is infuriating? That you’re low-key obsessed with him? That the s****l tension between you two could light up the entire campus?”
Ava shot up, scandalized. “There is no....” She lowered her voice. “There is no s****l tension.”
Maya’s grin widened. “Girl. You’re blushing just saying it.”
“I’m blushing because you’re insane!” Ava insisted, snatching a chip from the bag and crunching it aggressively.
Maya poked her shoulder. “So, what happened? I want the play-by-play.”
Ava groaned again but spilled anyway Daniel showing up, Ethan being obnoxious, Ethan dragging her aside afterward. She skimmed the part about his hand on her wrist, though her face went red just remembering it.
Maya listened, nodding sagely like she was the world’s foremost expert on romance. “Mhm. Classic move. He’s territorial. But also? He’s obsessed with you. Like… scary obsessed.”
“That’s not a good thing!” Ava protested.
“Depends on who you ask,” Maya teased. “For you? Totally a good thing. Admit it you like it when he gets under your skin.”
Ava crossed her arms. “I do not.”
“Yes, you do. You literally came in here ranting about him while glowing like someone just confessed their undying love.”
“I’m glowing because I’m embarrassed!”
“Sure, babe,” Maya said, patting her head patronizingly. “Keep telling yourself that.”
Ava groaned and flopped back onto the bed. “I just… I don’t know what to do. Daniel’s nice. Normal. But Ethan…” She trailed off, staring at the ceiling. “Ethan makes me feel like I’m… burning alive.”
Maya cackled. “See? s****l tension.”
Ava grabbed a pillow and smacked her with it.
“Hey!” Maya yelped, laughing. “Violence won’t change the truth.”
Ava huffed, rolling onto her side. “I’m ignoring him from now on.”
Maya smirked, stuffing another chip in her mouth. “Good luck with that, babe. Ethan Hunt doesn’t strike me as the type to be ignored.”
Ava’s stomach twisted. She already knew Maya was right. Avoiding him was impossible. He always found her.
And, deep down… maybe she didn’t want to be avoided.
- Writer
