Cassie's breath caught in her throat, but her rage didn't waver. "Then tell me, Ethan! What's the whole story, huh? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you couldn't wait to crawl into someone else's bed!"
Ethan stood, slowly, his voice low and steady. "You think this happened overnight? You think everything fell apart because of her?" He shook his head. "No, Cassie. Things broke long before last night. You just didn't want to see it."
Cassie's eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "So it is true."
He didn't deny it.
The silence stretched between them like a loaded gun.
"I loved you, Ethan," she whispered.Amara's eyes snapped open, heart pounding.
He looked at her for a long moment, something unreadable flashing across his face. "Maybe you did. But we both stopped trying. And last night… it wasn't planned. It just—happened."
Cassie turned away, one tear slipping down her cheek. "You've changed."
Ethan's voice was quiet now. "Maybe. Or maybe I just stopped pretending."
Cassie stared at him, her chest heaving. "So you just stopped pretending? Just like that? You slept with someone else and now you're suddenly enlightened?"
Ethan didn't flinch. "I didn't plan any of it, Cass. But I'm not going to lie to you."
She let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "No. You just lied to me with every silent dinner. Every time you turned your back in bed. Every time you said 'I'm fine' when we both knew you weren't."
He opened his mouth, but she raised a hand, silencing him.
"No," she said firmly. "Don't. I don't want another apology. I don't want a speech. I want the truth, but I can't hear it from you right now."
He didn't yell. He didn't slam the door. He just walked past her, quiet and steady.
Cassie turned, voice shaking. "Where are you going?"
Ethan paused at the doorway, hand on the frame. "Somewhere I don't have to pretend anymore."
And with that, he walked out, leaving behind the silence and a truth Cassie wasn't ready to face.
Amara sat on the edge of her bed, phone still clutched in her hand. Her conversation from earlier replayed in her head, her friend's words echoing loud:
"You're in love with a man whose name you barely know."
She scoffed quietly, dragging a hand through her hair. God, what is wrong with me?
A soft knock on her door startled her. She turned, heart thudding in her chest.
No one was supposed to be here.
She tiptoed to the door and peeked through the peephole. Empty hallway.
But just as she turned away, she heard footsteps—fast, heavy, like someone walking with purpose.
She opened the door just enough to peek out again.
And there he was.
Ethan.
Head down. Jacket slung over his shoulder. Jaw clenched like he'd just come from war.
He walked right past her door—then stopped.
Amara didn't breathe.
He turned slowly… lifted his gaze.
Their eyes locked.
Something unsaid passed between them.
Raw. Heavy. Real.
He didn't say a word. Just stared, like he'd been looking for her but wasn't ready for what he'd find.And neither was she.
Amara took a shaky step forward, her voice lower now, but laced with fire. "You didn't even say a word last night. You just disappeared. Like it meant nothing."
He opened his mouth to speak, but she didn't give him the chance.
"You don't get to walk around here like none of this happened." Her voice cracked. "You don't get to take that from me and pretend it didn't exist."
Ethan's brows furrowed. "Amara… I didn't take anything from you."
She let out a dry laugh, then her eyes turned cold. "Really? You just stumbled into a stranger's bed, touched her like you knew her soul, and vanished before sunrise?"
He looked confused, pained. "You wanted me."
"I was drunk. I barely knew your name. And you still didn't stop," she snapped.
He flinched at that.
"I'm suing you," she said suddenly, her voice shaking. "For rape."
The hallway fell into a dead, suffocating silence.
Ethan's face drained of color. "What?"
"I don't even know who you are," she whispered. "And yet every inch of me remembers you."
He took a slow step forward, voice hoarse. "Amara, please. You… you weren't drunk. You kissed me first. You—"
"Don't you dare twist this on me."
"I'm not," he said quietly. "I'm just… trying to understand what this is turning into."
Her breathing was heavy, her fists clenched at her sides. She didn't know if she wanted to hit him or fall apart right in front of him.
Because no matter how angry she was no matter how betrayed some part of her had wanted him back in that bed.And she hated that more than anything.
Amara's eyes burned with anger. "By the way, Ethan, you were in my room, in my bed! I was taking a shower, and then I saw you—covered in my sheets! What the hell were you doing there?"
Ethan's jaw tightened. "No, Amara. You're wrong. You were in my room last night. You came in while I was asleep."
Amara's voice rose. "Don't twist this! I was nowhere near your room until after I realized my purse was missing!"
Ethan stepped closer, voice low but firm. "You don't remember what happened. You left your door open. I didn't want to wake you, so I stayed."
Amara's fists clenched. "Stayed? In my bed? That's not staying—that's crossing a line!"
Ethan's eyes flashed. "I didn't cross any line. You were the one who walked in."
Amara spat, "I'm suing you for rape, Ethan. You took advantage of me while I was vulnerable!"
Ethan's face darkened. "You don't know what happened. Don't accuse me of things without proof."
Amara glared. "Maybe you should've thought about that before sneaking into my room."
They stood inches apart, the air thick with rage and misunderstanding, neither willing to back down.
Ethan's eyes darkened as he spoke, voice rough.
"Amara, you came back from the party, walked into my room by mistake. I was drunk and confused. When I saw you, I thought… maybe fate was playing a trick on me. So I lay down on your bed."
Amara crossed her arms, anger flaring.
"Fate? You don't get to decide that. You were in my room, in my bed, without permission. That's not just some mistake."
Ethan's jaw tightened, voice low and sharp.
"Yeah? Maybe you're the one who's mistaken about what happened."
Amara stepped closer, fierce.
"I'm not mistaken. And if you think I'm going to let this slide, you're dead wrong."
Ethan's lips curled into a slow, crooked smile.
"Maybe… you liked it," he said, eyes glinting with challenge. "Something inside me tells me you want me, even if you don't want to admit it."
Amara's breath hitched, anger and shock flashing across her face.
"Don't flatter yourself," she snapped. "I want nothing to do with you."
But Ethan didn't back down. His voice dropped, low and teasing.
"Are you sure about that? Because I'm starting to think you're fighting something you don't understand."
Ethan's eyes glinted with something dangerous as he leaned closer.
"So, you're really going to accuse me of... what?" His voice was low, almost teasing.
Amara's heart pounded, but she held her ground.
"You don't belong in my room. You don't belong anywhere near me."
He smirked, a challenge in his gaze.
"Alright then. Prove it. Stay away from me for one whole day. No calls, no texts, no 'accidental' meetings. If you can do that…"
He shrugged, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"…then maybe I'll believe you're serious."
Amara's jaw clenched. Was he serious? Or just playing games?
But something inside her stirred. Maybe she wanted to take the challenge.
Maybe she wanted to see if she could really stay away.
Ethan's smirk softened just a fraction, his voice low and teasing.
"You sure you want to test that, Amara? Because once I'm close, it's hard to walk away."
Amara's eyes flashed, her pulse racing.
"Maybe that's the point. Maybe I want to see if you can really stay away."
He stepped closer, the space between them shrinking.
"You think you're in control?"
She bit her lip, trying not to falter.
"For once, I want to be."
His hand brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, fingers lingering like a promise.
"Control's overrated."
Amara's breath hitched. The air between them crackled.
Before she could think twice, Ethan leaned in, his lips just inches from hers.
"Maybe some things are meant to be out of control."
The kiss was sudden, electric soft at first, then deeper, as if both were letting go of their
doubts all at once.
Amara's eyes snapped open, heart pounding. She shoved Ethan hard, putting space between them.
"Get out!" she spat, voice shaking but fierce.
"You're going to hear from my lawyer. You raped me. And that's final."
Ethan stared at her, stunned for a moment, then his expression darkened, lips curling into a cold smile.
"Fine," he said quietly, "but don't say I didn't warn you."
He turned and walked away, leaving Amara trembling but determined.