Chapter 44
(Ethan)
I knew something was off.
Not enough to start a fight about it.
Not enough to accuse Clara of anything.
But enough that I noticed.
And once I noticed, I couldn’t stop noticing.
It started small.
The way she got quiet sometimes in the middle of conversations.
The way her attention drifted whenever Professor Hart was nearby.
The way tension suddenly appeared in her shoulders whenever his name came up.
At first, I told myself I was imagining things.
But then little moments kept adding up.
Like tonight.
The second I walked up outside the library, the atmosphere between them felt strange.
Too still.
Too aware.
And maybe I would’ve ignored it if Clara didn’t step away so quickly the moment she heard my voice.
That part stayed in my head longer than it should
