Episode 2: The Man Who Walked Away
819 Words
I cried until my eyes burned.
By the time I reached Hawthorne Hall, I had no idea how I'd managed to find my way back.
The only thing repeating in my head was Ethan's face.
His guilty expression.
The woman on his lap.
The words that kept echoing louder than anything else:
You said she wasn't coming until next week.
He hadn't made one mistake.
He'd made plans.
He'd expected me to be gone longer.
I wasn't just heartbroken.
I was humiliated.
The moment I stepped into my dorm room, Lily looked up from her laptop.
She took one look at me and immediately stood.
"...He cheated."
It wasn't a question.
I nodded once.
That was all it took.
Lily crossed the room and wrapped me in a hug.
"I'm so sorry."
The words I'd been holding back broke free.
"I don't understand."
"I know."
"I kept wondering why he seemed so busy these past few months."
She gently rubbed my back.
"I thought he was just stressed."
"I know."
"I kept making excuses for him."
"I know."
We stayed like that for a long time.
Sometimes, silence comforts you more than advice ever could.
---
Nearly an hour later, we were sitting on the floor in oversized hoodies with a tub of chocolate ice cream between us.
Lily pointed her spoon at me.
"Okay."
"New rule."
I sniffled.
"What rule?"
"We never cry over the same man twice."
I laughed despite myself.
"I don't think that's how heartbreak works."
"I know."
"But it sounded inspirational."
She reached for another spoonful.
"And for the record..."
"Ethan Brooks is officially banned."
"From what?"
"My conversations."
"My dorm."
"My future wedding."
A small smile escaped me.
"My future wedding?"
"You'll have one."
She shrugged.
"Just not with him."
---
Across campus...
The top floor of Founder Hall overlooked the entire university.
Kael Draven Vale stood alone beside the window, his tie loosened, his hands buried in his pockets.
He could still see her.
Not physically.
The image was simply burned into his mind.
The tears.
The heartbreak.
The way she'd tried so hard not to cry until she was out of Ethan's sight.
His wolf paced restlessly inside him.
Go to her.
Protect her.
She doesn't belong with anyone else.
Kael shut his eyes.
"Enough."
A knock sounded on the office door.
Without turning, he said, "Come in."
Ronan Ashbourne entered carrying two cups of coffee.
"You skipped dinner."
"I wasn't hungry."
"You've never skipped dinner."
Kael accepted the coffee but didn't drink it.
Ronan studied him for a moment.
"So..."
"You found her."
Silence.
Kael didn't deny it.
Ronan sighed.
"I was hoping the elders were wrong."
"So was I."
"And?"
Kael's jaw tightened.
"She's human."
"As far as she knows."
Another silence settled between them.
"What did you do?" Ronan asked.
"I walked away."
Ronan nodded slowly.
"That must have been difficult."
Kael gave a quiet, humorless laugh.
"It was the hardest thing I've ever done."
---
The next morning, Eclipse University came alive.
Students hurried across campus carrying coffee cups, backpacks, and notebooks.
Lily practically dragged me out of the dorm.
"If we stay inside, you will spend the whole day thinking about Ethan."
"I probably will anyway."
"Maybe."
She smiled.
"But at least you'll be thinking about him while getting an education."
I rolled my eyes.
"You're strangely optimistic."
"I'm your roommate."
"It's literally in my contract."
---
The business school building buzzed with excitement.
As first-year students searched for their classrooms, conversations suddenly died down.
Heads turned toward the entrance.
Someone important had arrived.
"Who's that?" I whispered.
Lily followed everyone's gaze.
"Oh."
"That's Kael Draven Vale."
"The Student Council President."
"The guy everyone talks about?"
"The very one."
He walked through the hallway surrounded by a few students, politely greeting professors and staff by name.
Confident.
Calm.
Effortlessly composed.
There was nothing flashy about him.
Yet everyone instinctively moved aside.
He wasn't demanding attention.
He simply carried it.
For a brief second...
His eyes met mine.
I expected him to look away immediately.
Instead, he paused.
Just for a heartbeat.
As though he wanted to say something.
Then someone called his name.
He broke eye contact.
Nodded politely.
And continued walking.
"Did he just... look at you?" Lily whispered.
"I think he was looking past me."
"No."
"I'm pretty sure that was definitely you."
I shook my head.
"Why would someone like him even notice me?"
I didn't realize someone else had noticed too.
Standing at the top of the staircase, Serena Blackwood watched the exchange with narrowed eyes.
She knew Kael.
She'd known him for years.
He was polite to everyone.
Interested in no one.
So why...
Had he stopped walking for a complete stranger?
Serena smiled.
It was a beautiful smile.
The kind that never reached her eyes.
"Who are you, Amara Cole?"
She intended to find out.
No matter what it took.
- Writer
