Chapter Ten: What He Hid
712 Words
Maya
The next morning, Ethan wasn't in class.
I told myself I wasn't disappointed.
I was lying.
I kept checking the door every few minutes until Professor Williams finally began the lecture.
No Ethan.
At lunch, I checked my phone.
Nothing.
By the afternoon, I was frustrated enough to stop pretending I didn't care.
I found Sofia in the student center.
“You look like you're about to fight someone.”
“I might.”
She laughed.
“Ethan?”
I sighed.
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“He disappeared.”
Her smile faded.
“Is he okay?”
“I don't know.”
Before I could say more, my phone buzzed.
A message from Ethan.
Meet me behind the library after your last class. Please come alone.
My heart immediately started racing.
I found him exactly where he said he'd be.
He was sitting on a bench beneath a large tree, staring at the ground.
He looked exhausted.
“Ethan?”
He looked up.
“Maya.”
I sat beside him.
“What happened?”
He was quiet for a moment.
Then he pulled the envelope from his jacket.
“This is what Emma gave me yesterday.”
He handed it to me.
I looked at him.
“What's inside?”
“Something I should have told you before.”
I opened the envelope.
Inside was an old photograph.
Ethan stood in front of a large house with his parents and Emma.
But there was someone else in the picture.
A young man.
I looked at Ethan.
“Who is he?”
“My cousin, Ryan.”
“What happened to him?”
Ethan's expression hardened.
“He died three years ago.”
I looked back at the photograph.
“I'm sorry.”
“He was more like a brother to me.”
Ethan took a breath.
“His death destroyed my family.”
“What happened?”
“He was driving home one night when his car went off the road.”
My chest tightened.
“An accident?”
“That's what everyone believed.”
He looked at me.
“Until recently.”
I waited.
“Emma found evidence that someone had tampered with the car.”
I stared at him.
“You think he was killed?”
“We don't know.”
“But someone might have caused it.”
Ethan nodded.
“And my father doesn't want anyone investigating.”
“Why?”
His eyes dropped.
“Because Ryan knew something about our family's business.”
Silence settled between us.
I finally understood why Ethan had been so guarded.
This wasn't just family drama.
Someone had died.
And now someone was trying to stop them from discovering why.
“Why tell me now?”
“Because you asked me to trust you.”
He looked into my eyes.
“And because I don't want to lie to you anymore.”
My heart softened.
“You should have told me sooner.”
“I know.”
I placed my hand over his.
“I can't promise I'll understand everything.”
“I don't expect you to.”
“But I can promise I won't judge you.”
He looked at our hands.
Then at me.
“That's more than enough.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then he smiled.
“I missed you.”
I smiled back.
“You disappeared for one day.”
“It felt longer.”
My heart fluttered.
“You're getting sentimental.”
“Only around you.”
I laughed softly.
He leaned closer.
This time, there was no interruption.
No phone call.
No crowd.
Just us.
His forehead rested gently against mine.
“Maya…”
“Hmm?”
“I really like you.”
I smiled.
“I really like you too.”
He closed the distance between us.
Our first kiss was soft and uncertain, like neither of us wanted to rush it.
When we pulled apart, we both smiled.
For a few seconds, everything felt perfect.
Then Ethan's phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
His smile disappeared.
“Who is it?” I asked.
He didn't answer.
He simply stared at the name.
Dad.
And somehow, I knew our perfect moment had just come to an end.
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