Ethan Hayes
The storm still hadn’t stopped by midnight.
Lightning flashed occasionally outside Ethan’s dorm window while Lena lay beside him beneath dim golden lights, her head resting against his chest as soft music played quietly from his phone speaker.
Neither of them had slept yet.
Mostly because every conversation somehow turned into another reason not to let go of each other.
“You’re staring again,” Lena murmured lazily.
Ethan traced slow circles against her arm. “Can you blame me?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
She laughed softly against him, and Ethan swore he’d spend the rest of his life chasing that sound if he could.
The room smelled faintly like rain and chlorine.
Comfortable.
Safe.
Dangerously close to feeling permanent.
Lena tilted her head upward slightly to look at him.
“Y
