Ethan noticed before Liora did.
The quiet between her and Adrian wasn't just awkward anymore — it was heavy. Like a storm that had rolled in, refused to rain, and just sat there, pressing on everyone's chest.
During their design lecture, Liora's hand shook slightly as she adjusted her notebook. Ethan leaned over. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," she said quickly, snapping the cover closed.
But Ethan didn't buy it. He'd seen the way her eyes kept flicking toward Adrian, the way her lips pressed into a thin line whenever he passed. Something about Adrian's distance was twisting her, and Ethan couldn't ignore it any longer.
Then it happened.
A pile of equipment near the front of the lab wobbled — a student bumped into it, and a cascade of model parts teetered dangerously.
"Watch out!" Liora shouted, instinctively lunging forward.
Before she could reach it, Adrian was there.
He grabbed the largest piece, steadying it in his hands, his movement fluid, almost automatic. The equipment clattered harmlessly to the floor.
"Are you hurt?" His voice was low, controlled, but with that familiar tension under it.
Liora stared at him, heart thundering in a way that was all too familiar. "I'm fine."
He didn't release the piece immediately. His hand lingered near hers, just close enough for her to feel it. She wanted to step back, but she didn't. Her body betrayed her, even as her mind screamed at her to move.
Ethan appeared beside her in a blur. "You okay?"
"Yes." Liora tried to sound casual, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her.
Adrian finally released the equipment, letting it rest on the table. His eyes flicked to Ethan. "She is."
Ethan's jaw tightened slightly, a flash of something like suspicion — or perhaps jealousy — crossing his face.
Adrian didn't look away. He just watched Liora straighten, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. There was something almost… protective in the way he observed her. Something he didn't quite understand himself.
Liora cleared her throat. "Thanks, I guess."
"You're welcome," he said, voice quieter now, almost hesitant.
The room felt too small. Too loud. The soft hum of computers, the scribbles of students, the shuffle of feet — none of it mattered. All that mattered was him standing there, close, aware, and strangely… different.
Ethan noticed it too. He saw the flicker of confusion on Adrian's face, the tension in his posture, the way his gaze softened when it landed on Liora.
"Come on," Ethan muttered, his voice low as he stepped slightly closer to her. "Let's finish our part."
Adrian didn't respond. He simply turned and walked toward his own workstation, leaving a trail of unspoken words hanging in the air.
Liora exhaled sharply, her chest tight.
Ethan leaned over once more. "You okay?"
"I… yeah." She forced a smile, though her heart was still hammering. "I'm fine."
But she knew she wasn't.
Because for the first time since they'd started this project, Adrian's distance — his silence, his withdrawal — had mattered.
And for the first time, she realized that his presence, even when quiet, had the power to make her feel things she didn't want to feel.
Things she wasn't ready to name.
Things that were already changing everything between them.
And somewhere in the back of her mind, Ethan's frown lingered. He was noticing the shift too — noticing that Adrian Knight wasn't just her rival anymore. He was… something else.
Something dangerous.