THE ATTENTION SHE MISSED.
811 Words
Sofia noticed the change almost immediately.
Ethan didn’t wait for her after class.
He didn’t text her.
He didn’t ask where she was going.
At lunch, he sat with his friends and barely looked in her direction.
She walked past his table twice.
Nothing.
By the third time, she stopped.
“Are you ignoring me?”
Ethan looked up from his phone.
“No.”
“You haven’t spoken to me all day.”
“I’ve been busy.”
“With what?”
“School.”
She stared at him.
“Since when does school keep you that busy?”
He shrugged.
“Maybe I’m finally taking it seriously.”
Then he returned to his phone.
Sofia stood there for a moment.
She wasn’t used to this.
Ethan had always noticed her.
Even when she didn’t want him to.
Especially when she didn’t want him to.
Now he seemed perfectly capable of going an entire day without looking her way.
She hated it.
⸻
She asked him to meet her for dinner that evening.
He arrived ten minutes late.
Sofia looked at her watch.
“You’re late.”
“I know.”
“You’re never late.”
“I had something to do.”
She studied him.
“You’re really changing.”
Ethan picked up the menu.
“You wanted to talk.”
“Yes.”
She leaned forward.
“About the engagement.”
His expression immediately changed.
“Sofia.”
“Just listen.”
He sighed.
“Our parents have been talking about this for years.”
“I know.”
“And it wouldn’t actually be that bad.”
He looked at her.
“Wouldn’t it?”
She hesitated.
“No.”
“You don’t want it either.”
“That’s not what I said.”
“Then what are you saying?”
She looked away.
“I think you’re making it more complicated than it needs to be.”
Ethan didn’t answer.
Their conversation was interrupted by a familiar voice.
“Good evening.”
He looked up.
Aisha stood beside their table with two menus.
His stomach tightened.
Sofia stared at her.
Then she laughed.
“Aisha?”
Aisha nodded.
“Yes.”
“You work here?”
“I do.”
Sofia looked her over.
Her uniform was neat, but there was nothing expensive about it.
“You really needed the tutoring money that badly?”
Aisha’s face changed.
Ethan’s jaw tightened.
“Sofia.”
“What?”
Aisha kept her eyes lowered.
“I’ll give you some time to decide what you’d like.”
She turned.
Sofia wasn’t finished.
“I can’t believe you.”
Aisha stopped.
“You acted so proud when you were tutoring me.”
“I did my job.”
“Apparently not very well.”
Aisha’s fingers tightened around the menus.
Ethan pushed his chair back.
“Enough.”
Sofia looked at him.
“I’m just talking.”
“No. You’re humiliating her.”
Sofia stared at him.
“Since when do you care?”
Ethan’s voice was quiet.
“Since you started enjoying it.”
The words silenced her.
Aisha looked at him.
For a second, their eyes met.
Then she lowered hers.
“I’ll be back.”
She walked away.
Sofia watched her.
Then looked at Ethan.
“You’re defending her now?”
“I’m stopping you from embarrassing someone.”
“She embarrassed herself.”
“That doesn’t give you the right to make it worse.”
Sofia’s face hardened.
Something had changed.
And she didn’t like it.
Not one bit.
⸻
The next morning, Aisha waited outside the lecture hall.
When Ethan approached, she stepped forward.
“Ethan.”
He stopped.
She held out a small cup.
He looked at it.
“What’s this?”
“Coffee.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to thank you.”
“For last night?”
She nodded.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know.”
She gave him a small smile.
“That’s why I wanted to.”
He took the cup.
“Thank you.”
Aisha nodded and walked away.
She didn’t feel anything romantic.
Not yet.
If anything, she felt relieved.
For weeks, Ethan had made school harder than it already was.
Now, suddenly, he wasn’t.
Maybe he’d finally gotten tired of bothering her.
Maybe things were finally becoming a little easier.
She could handle the rest.
She just needed to keep moving.
Across the courtyard, Sofia watched them.
She saw the coffee.
She saw Ethan smile.
She saw Aisha walk away.
Her fingers tightened around her phone.
Ethan had never looked at her that way.
Or maybe he had.
Maybe she had simply been too used to it to notice.
And now, for the first time, Sofia wondered what had changed.
More importantly—
what exactly was happening between Ethan and Aisha?
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