Chapter 17 She Almost Said It
858 Words
After the conversation in the hall, Lily found it harder than ever to keep her feelings hidden.
Graduation was getting closer every day. Everyone was busy making plans for the future, talking about universities, jobs and new beginnings. But all Lily could think about was the fact that soon she might not see Ethan every day anymore.
The thought stayed in her mind constantly.
One afternoon, a few students stayed behind after class to continue preparing for graduation. Sophie and Daniel had gone to pick up some materials from another classroom, leaving Lily and Ethan alone in the hall again.
It seemed to happen a lot lately.
Neither of them complained about it.
Lily sat on the floor arranging printed programmes while Ethan helped beside her.
Or at least pretended to help.
“You’ve been staring at that paper for two minutes,” Lily said.
“I’m thinking.”
“About what?”
“Nothing important.”
“Then stop thinking.”
Ethan laughed softly.
For a moment they worked quietly.
The hall was almost empty. The sunlight coming through the windows painted long shadows across the floor. Everything felt calm.
Too calm.
Lily hated how aware she was of him.
The sound of his voice.
The way he smiled whenever she looked at him.
The way being around him still made her nervous after all this time.
“You know,” Ethan said suddenly, “I’m going to miss this.”
Lily looked up.
“Miss what?”
“This.”
He gestured around the hall.
“The people. The routine. Seeing the same faces every day.”
Lily’s chest tightened.
Because she knew exactly who she was going to miss.
Ethan looked at her.
“What about you?”
She tried to answer casually.
“I’ll probably miss some people.”
“Some people?”
“Yeah.”
He smirked.
“That’s cold.”
Lily smiled faintly.
The truth was she wasn’t going to miss some people.
She was going to miss one person.
And he was sitting right in front of her.
The thought made her heart ache.
For a few seconds neither of them spoke.
Then Ethan leaned back against one of the chairs.
“What if everything changes after graduation?”
“It will.”
“You think so?”
“Of course.”
He nodded slowly.
Then he looked at her again.
“Do you think we’ll still talk?”
The question caught her off guard.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
Lily suddenly felt nervous.
“Why wouldn’t we?”
Ethan shrugged.
“People drift apart.”
The words hit harder than they should have.
Because that was exactly what she was afraid of.
“No,” she said quietly.
Ethan looked surprised.
Lily swallowed.
“I mean… I don’t think we will.”
His expression softened.
“Good.”
Just one word.
But it made her heart race.
The silence that followed felt different.
Heavier.
Like both of them were thinking about something neither wanted to say.
Lily looked down at the programme in her hands.
She couldn’t do this anymore.
The feelings were getting too big.
Too difficult to carry alone.
Every day she wanted to tell him.
Every day she stopped herself.
But right now, sitting there with him, graduation only weeks away, the words were suddenly right there.
Waiting.
Ready.
“Ethan…”
He looked up immediately.
“Yeah?”
Her heartbeat became so loud she could barely hear herself think.
This was it.
She could say it.
She could finally tell him the truth.
She could tell him that he was the reason she looked forward to school.
The reason she smiled at her phone.
The reason she was terrified of graduation.
Because she loved him.
The words were right there.
Right on the edge.
“Ethan, I…”
“What are you two doing?”
Sophie’s voice suddenly filled the hall.
Lily nearly jumped.
Sophie and Daniel walked in carrying boxes.
The moment was gone.
Completely gone.
Ethan blinked and looked away.
Lily immediately lowered her head.
“Nothing,” she said quickly.
Sophie looked between them suspiciously.
“You both look guilty.”
“We’re literally folding papers,” Ethan replied.
“Very suspicious papers apparently.”
Daniel dropped the boxes onto a table.
“You people are weird.”
The conversation moved on.
Everyone started working again.
The hall became noisy.
Normal.
But Lily couldn’t focus anymore.
Because only seconds ago she had almost done it.
She had almost told him everything.
Later, when she got home, she lay on her bed staring at the ceiling.
Her heart still hadn’t fully recovered.
She kept replaying the moment in her mind.
The way Ethan looked at her.
The way he immediately paid attention when she said his name.
The way the words almost escaped.
Maybe Sophie arriving had saved her.
Or maybe it had ruined her chance.
She honestly didn’t know.
But one thing became painfully clear that night.
The closer graduation got, the harder it was becoming to hide how she felt.
And sooner or later, something was going to give.
- Writer
