(Clara)
I barely slept.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Ethan’s face.
Not the moment he asked me about Professor Hart.
Not even the moment I admitted I was confused.
It was the moment afterward that refused to leave me alone.
The moment he told me he loved me.
The look in his eyes when he said it.
The hope and the fear.
The disappointment when I couldn’t say it back.
I turned over in bed for what felt like the hundredth time before finally giving up and checking the time on my phone.
4:17 a.m……Absolutely wonderful.
I dropped the phone onto the mattress and stared at the ceiling.
My chest felt heavy, not because I didn’t care about Ethan.
That was the worst part.
I cared about him a lot.
If I didn’t care, this would be easy.
If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t feel like the wor
