The words hung between us like smoke from a fire I'd just started, thick and suffocating, impossible to blow away. Ethan paused, his hand halfway to his mouth, the pepperoni pizza slice drooping slightly, cheese stretching in a thin, reluctant strand. His beautiful blue eyes, usually so warm and easy to read, widened for just a moment before something clicked shut behind them, like a light going off in a room where I'd always felt welcome.
"A break?" he echoed, his voice quieter than I'd ever heard it, almost cautious, as if saying it too loudly could cause it to shatter. He lowered the pizza back onto the paper plate, wiping his fingers slowly on a napkin, even though there was hardly any grease on them. "Noah… what do you mean by that?"
