Chapter 2: The Space Between Us
363 Words
I didn’t answer Ethan right away.
The hallway felt too loud, too bright, like every single person was watching us even though most of them were pretending not to. My heart thudded against my ribs as I shut my locker.
“Now?” I asked quietly.
He nodded. “Before people start making up new stories.”
That made me laugh, but it came out wrong. Bitter. “They already have.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened. For a second, he looked like he wanted to say something else. Something heavier. Instead, he stepped aside, creating space for me to walk.
We headed toward the empty staircase near the science wing. It smelled faintly of dust and old books, a place students only used when they wanted privacy. I hadn’t been there since last term.
I stopped halfway up the stairs.
“This doesn’t mean anything’s changed,” I said, crossing my arms. “I’m not suddenly okay.”
“I know,” he replied. His voice was softer now. “I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
That was the problem.
No one ever asked that.
I looked at him then—really looked. He wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t trying to charm me like he did with everyone else. His eyes held something close to concern, and it unsettled me more than the whispers had.
“You don’t have to do this,” I said.
“Yes, I do.”
“Why?” The question slipped out before I could stop it.
He hesitated.
“Because last term,” he said slowly, “you didn’t deserve what happened.”
My chest tightened. The memory pressed in, sharp and unwelcome. The night. The mistake. The silence afterward.
“You don’t know that,” I whispered.
“I do,” he said firmly. “And one day, you’ll let me prove it.”
Footsteps echoed from the hallway above us. Voices. Laughter.
Reality rushed back in.
Ethan took a step away, putting distance between us again. “I’ll see you in class.”
As he turned to leave, I realised something terrifying.
The space between us wasn’t safe anymore.
It was pulling me in.
- Writer
