Chapter Seventeen — The Question I Couldn’t Ignore
1112 Words
I didn’t like the way Ethan had reacted.
It was small.
Almost nothing.
But I’d noticed.
When I asked how he knew Damien had been texting me, there had been a pause before his answer.
And now I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
We reached the campus event.
Music played from the speakers, and students crowded around the open space.
Ethan smiled at me.
“Relax.”
“I am relaxed.”
“You look like you’re investigating someone.”
I laughed.
“Maybe I am.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Who?”
“You.”
He laughed.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
I shrugged.
“Because you’re suspicious.”
He placed a hand over his chest.
“I’m offended.”
I smiled.
For a while, everything felt normal again.
We talked.
We laughed.
We even danced for a few minutes with the other students.
Then Ethan disappeared.
“I’ll be right back,” he said.
“Where are you going?”
“Just getting something.”
I nodded.
Five minutes passed.
Then ten.
He still hadn’t returned.
I looked around.
Nothing.
I decided to find him.
I walked behind the student center.
The music became quieter.
Then I heard voices.
I stopped.
Ethan was talking to someone.
A man.
I couldn’t see his face.
“…she doesn’t remember anything,” Ethan said.
My heart stopped.
I moved closer.
The other person said something too quietly for me to hear.
Ethan replied,
“I told you, I’m handling it.”
I froze.
Handling what?
I stepped backward.
My shoe scraped against the ground.
The voices stopped.
I quickly walked away.
A few seconds later, Ethan appeared.
“Amara?”
I turned around.
“Where were you?”
“Getting drinks.”
“You were gone for a long time.”
He smiled.
“Sorry.”
I studied his face.
“Who were you talking to?”
His smile disappeared for half a second.
Then it returned.
“Talking to?”
“I heard you.”
He laughed.
“You probably heard someone else.”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“Amara, I was alone.”
I stared at him.
He looked completely calm.
Too calm.
My phone buzzed.
I glanced down.
Damien: Leave the event.
I ignored it.
Another message came.
Damien: Now.
I looked around.
“Why?”
No reply.
Then I saw him.
Damien was standing near the entrance.
He wasn’t looking at me.
He was looking at Ethan.
His expression was cold.
Ethan followed my gaze.
The smile disappeared from his face.
For a moment, neither man moved.
Then Damien walked toward us.
“Amara.”
“What?”
“We need to talk.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“She can talk to you later.”
Damien looked at him.
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
Ethan smiled.
“Clearly.”
The tension between them was immediate.
I stepped between them.
“Stop.”
Damien looked at me.
“Come with me.”
“No.”
His expression tightened.
“Amara.”
“I came here with Ethan.”
“I know.”
“Then stop acting like you can drag me away.”
He lowered his voice.
“I’m trying to protect you.”
“From what?”
He looked at Ethan.
I followed his gaze.
Then Damien said,
“From someone you don’t know as well as you think.”
Ethan laughed quietly.
“You really love making yourself sound important.”
Damien stepped toward him.
“Careful.”
I grabbed Damien’s arm.
“Enough.”
He looked down at my hand.
Then at me.
Something changed in his expression.
His anger softened.
He took a step back.
“Fine.”
He looked at me.
“But don’t leave with him.”
I frowned.
“Why?”
He hesitated.
Then said,
“Because I don’t trust him.”
Ethan shook his head.
“This is getting ridiculous.”
Damien ignored him.
His eyes stayed on mine.
“Just be careful.”
Then he walked away.
I watched him disappear into the crowd.
Ethan sighed.
“Your boyfriend is intense.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
I rolled my eyes.
But I didn’t laugh.
Because my mind was still stuck on what I’d heard earlier.
She doesn’t remember anything.
I’m handling it.
I looked at Ethan.
“What were you talking about earlier?”
He went still.
“What?”
“Behind the building.”
His expression changed.
“I told you. I was getting drinks.”
“Ethan.”
He sighed.
“Okay.”
He stepped closer.
“I was talking to someone about a personal issue.”
“What issue?”
“Nothing important.”
“Then why did you say I don’t remember anything?”
His face went completely blank.
For the first time that night, Ethan didn’t have a charming answer.
“I didn’t say that.”
“I heard you.”
“You misunderstood.”
“Did I?”
He looked away.
Then back at me.
“Amara, you’re overthinking this.”
I took a step back.
“Maybe.”
He reached for my hand.
I moved it away.
“I think I should go home.”
His expression hardened.
“Because of Damien?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“Because I’m tired.”
He stared at me.
Then smiled.
“Okay.”
I turned around.
As I walked away, I looked back once.
Ethan was still standing there.
Watching me.
His expression was completely different now.
No smile.
No charm.
Just a look I couldn’t understand.
⸻
When I reached my hostel, I found Damien waiting outside.
I stopped.
“You followed me?”
“No.”
“Then why are you here?”
He looked at me.
“I wanted to make sure you got back safely.”
I sighed.
“Damien…”
“What did Ethan say?”
I froze.
“How do you know something happened?”
He didn’t answer.
I stared at him.
“Damien.”
He looked away.
“I know him.”
“What does that mean?”
He finally looked at me.
“It means you should stay away from him.”
I shook my head.
“I’m tired of everyone telling me who I can trust.”
He stepped closer.
“Then don’t trust me.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“Trust your instincts.”
He paused.
“And right now…”
His eyes held mine.
“Your instincts are telling you something is wrong.”
I didn’t answer.
Because the worst part was…
he was right.
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