The Cool-Off That Became Forever

EPISODE 6 : The Distance Between us

Noah's Pov

After breakfast, I finally decided to go home.

Ava walked me to the door.

"You can stay longer."

I shook my head.

"I can't hide forever."

She nodded.

"But call me if you need me."

"I will."

She looked at me seriously.

"Promise?"

I smiled slightly.

"Promise."

She hugged me tightly.

And for the first time since yesterday...

I felt like I could breathe.

"Thank you."

She pulled back.

"For what?"

"For not letting me fall apart alone."

Her expression softened.

"That's what best friends are for."

---

The walk home felt longer than usual.

Every street reminded me of Ethan.

The café where we had our first date.

The park where we spent hours talking.

The road we always walked together after classes.

Places that used to make me smile...

Now only made my chest ache.

When I finally reached my house, I stood outside for a moment.

I knew the second I walked in...

My mother would know.

She always knew.

I opened the door.

"I'm home."

"Baby?"

Her voice came from the living room.

A few seconds later, my mother appeared.

The moment she saw me...

Her expression changed.

She didn't ask what happened.

She didn't demand an explanation.

She just looked at my face.

Then she walked toward me and pulled me into a hug.

And that was almost enough to break me.

Because with her...

I didn't have to pretend.

"I don't want to talk about it."

My voice was quiet.

She held me tighter.

"Okay."

That was all she said.

No pressure.

No questions.

Just okay.

---

Later that evening, I finally told her.

"Ethan asked for a cool-off."

My mother was quiet.

Not angry.

Not surprised.

Just quiet.

"He said he needs space."

She looked at me.

"And what do you need?"

The question caught me off guard.

"I don't know."

She reached out and touched my face.

"Yes, you do."

I looked down.

"I still love him."

"I know."

"And he's not a bad person."

My mother nodded.

"I know."

I looked at her.

She smiled sadly.

"But a good person can still hurt you."

Those words stayed with me.

---

That night, I sat alone in my room.

The picture frame beside my bed caught my attention.

Me and Ethan.

Smiling.

Happy.

A memory from a time when forever felt certain.

I picked it up.

My fingers traced over the glass.

I wasn't ready to throw it away.

I wasn't ready to pretend I didn't love him.

So instead...

I slowly placed it face down.

Not because I hated him.

Not because I stopped caring.

But because I needed to breathe.

I stared at it for a long time.

Then whispered,

"If Ethan needs space..."

I took a shaky breath.

"I'll give him space."

The room became quiet.

"But..."

I looked away.

"I can't wait forever."

And for the first time since Ethan walked away...

I thought about myself.

---

The sound of my alarm pulled me out of a restless sleep.

For a few seconds, I stared at the ceiling, completely still.

My mind was quiet.

Almost peaceful.

Then reality slowly returned.

The empty space beside me.

The silence of my room.

The absence of the familiar morning message that used to appear on my phone every day.

I reached for my phone without thinking.

My fingers moved automatically, expecting to see Ethan's name.

But the screen remained empty.

I stared at it for a few seconds before locking it again.

I hated that I still expected him.

I hated that after everything, a small part of me still hoped I would wake up and find out yesterday had been a terrible dream.

But it wasn't.

So I got out of bed.

---

Getting ready for university felt strange.

Everything looked normal.

The same clothes.

The same room.

The same routine.

But something was missing.

For two years, Ethan had been part of every little thing.

He was the person I texted before leaving the house.

The person I searched for the moment I arrived on campus.

The person I looked for without even realizing it.

Now...

I had to remind myself not to.

When I finished getting ready, I looked at myself in the mirror.

I looked better than yesterday.

My eyes weren't as swollen.

My face didn't show how much I had cried.

At least I didn't look like someone who had spent the entire night falling apart.

I took a deep breath.

Then I left.

---

The moment I stepped onto campus, I felt it.

The difference.

People noticed.

Of course they did.

Ethan and I had always been together.

We were the couple everyone knew.

The pair that walked through the halls together.

The ones who ate lunch together.

The ones who were always sitting beside each other during breaks.

Seeing me alone felt unusual.

Ava walked beside me, watching me carefully.

"You know you don't have to pretend with me."

I looked at her.

"I'm not pretending."

She gave me a look.

I sighed.

"Okay... maybe a little."

A small smile appeared on her face.

"That's better."

I appreciated that she didn't push further.

She knew when to talk.

And she knew when to simply stay beside me.

---

We were walking toward our lecture hall when I saw him.

Ethan.

My steps slowed before I could stop myself.

Even after everything...

My heart still recognized him before my mind did.

He was standing near the entrance with some classmates.

Laughing.

Looking normal.

For a moment, I wondered if he was hurting too.

Then his eyes found mine.

The laughter faded slightly.

Our eyes met.

And I waited.

Not because I expected anything.

But because some part of me still remembered how things used to be.

The way Ethan would smile when he saw me.

The way he would walk toward me without hesitation.

The way he would always find a reason to touch my hand.

But today...

He only gave me a small nod.

A polite one.

"Morning."

I forced myself to smile.

"Morning."

And then he walked past.

Just like that.

No stopping.

No conversation.

No attempt to close the distance between us.

He simply continued walking.

Ava looked at me after he passed.

She didn't say anything.

She didn't have to.

She saw it.

The way my expression changed.

The way my smile disappeared the second Ethan was gone.

I looked ahead.

"I'm okay."

Ava sighed.

"You really need a new answer."

I almost smiled.

Almost.

---

The rest of the day felt longer than usual.

I attended classes.

I took notes.

I answered questions.

I laughed when Ava said something funny.

I did everything I normally did.

But everything felt slightly wrong.

Because every time something happens...

My first instinct was still to tell Ethan.

A funny comment from a professor.

A random thought.

A small inconvenience.

Anything.

Then I remembered.

I couldn't.

Not anymore.

---

During lunch, Ava sat across from me.

She watched me pick at my food.

"You haven't eaten."

"I am eating."

"Noah."

I looked up.

She raised an eyebrow.

I sighed.

"You're annoying."

"That's why you love me."

I smiled slightly.

"Unfortunately."

She smiled back.

Then her expression softened.

"You know what hurts you the most?"

I looked at her.

"What?"

"You keep expecting him to act like nothing has changed."

I looked down.

Because she was right.

I missed the old Ethan.

The one who would run toward me.

The one who would notice every small change in my mood.

The one who made me feel like I was the most important person in the world.

And now...

We were strangers who said good morning.

---

At the end of the day, Noah and Ava walked toward the campus exit.

I saw him from a distance.

For a second, I thought about calling his name.

But I stopped.

I didn't know what I would say.

So I watched him leave.

The same person who had spent two years walking beside me...

Was now walking away from me.

And for the first time...

I wondered if I had taken something precious for granted.