The next morning, Emma woke up with one thought already occupying her mind.
Ethan.
She stared at the ceiling for several seconds.
Then she groaned and pulled her blanket over her face.
"Seriously?"
It was becoming ridiculous.
Yesterday, she'd gone to the library intending to help Ethan with calculus.
She'd accomplished that.
Technically.
But somewhere between correcting his mistakes and sitting across from him, she'd started thinking about things she had no business thinking about.
The way he'd looked at her.
The way his voice had changed when he'd said her name.
The way he'd admitted he thought about her more than he should.
And, most importantly—
Maybe I'll tell you someday.
Emma sat up.
"Someday?"
She grabbed her pillow and threw it across the room.
"Idiot."
She wasn't entirely sure whether she meant Ethan or herself.
Probably both.
---
By noon, the campus was unusually crowded.
Midterms were approaching, and everyone seemed to have suddenly remembered that their grades mattered.
Emma walked across the courtyard with a stack of books against her chest when someone called her name.
"Emma!"
She turned.
A familiar face approached her.
Lucas Bennett.
They'd shared two classes together since the beginning of the semester.
Lucas was friendly, confident, and far too comfortable smiling at people.
Especially her.
"Hey," Emma said.
"Heading to class?"
"Yeah."
He glanced at the books in her arms.
"Want some help?"
"I've got it."
"I can see that."
He smiled.
Emma couldn't help smiling back.
Lucas reached for two of the books anyway.
"Come on."
"Lucas—"
"You'll survive."
She sighed.
"Fine."
They started walking together.
"What are you doing after class?" he asked.
"Studying."
"With Ethan?"
Emma looked at him.
"How did you know?"
Lucas shrugged.
"You two are always together."
"We're not always together."
"Could've fooled me."
Emma rolled her eyes.
"We're friends."
"Right."
There was something about the way he said it.
Emma noticed.
Before she could respond, they reached the lecture hall.
Lucas handed her the books.
"See you later?"
"Sure."
He smiled.
"Good."
Emma walked inside.
She didn't notice Ethan standing several meters away.
He had.
He'd seen everything.
The books.
The smiles.
The way Lucas had walked beside her.
And he hated the feeling that settled in his chest.
Jealousy.
He knew it immediately.
And he hated himself for it.
"Hey."
Emma's voice interrupted his thoughts.
He looked at her.
"Hey."
She smiled.
"You've been standing there for a while."
"I was waiting."
"For me?"
He hesitated.
"Yeah."
Something warm moved through her chest.
"Okay."
They walked into the lecture hall together.
Ethan was quieter than usual.
Emma noticed.
Of course she did.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You've said 'nothing' three times."
"I'm fine."
"That's four."
He looked at her.
She raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"You're annoying."
"Yet you keep talking to me."
"Unfortunately."
She smiled.
"Sure."
They took their seats.
Lucas sat two rows ahead.
Ethan noticed.
He tried not to.
He failed.
During the lecture, Emma leaned toward him.
"Did you understand that?"
"Yeah."
She looked at his notes.
"You didn't write anything."
"I understood it."
"Then explain it."
He stared at her.
"Right now?"
"Yes."
He sighed.
"You really enjoy torturing me."
"A little."
She smiled.
Ethan tried to focus.
But his attention kept drifting toward Lucas.
When class ended, Lucas turned around.
"Emma."
She looked up.
"Yeah?"
"There's a study group tonight. We're going over the midterm material. You should come."
Emma hesitated.
"Who's going?"
"Some people from our class."
He glanced at Ethan.
"And friends."
Ethan's expression remained unreadable.
Emma noticed.
"Sure," she said. "I'll come."
Lucas smiled.
"Great."
He walked away.
Emma turned toward Ethan.
"You should come too."
He looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because you're terrible at calculus."
"I'm improving."
"Slowly."
He almost smiled.
Then he looked toward Lucas.
"Looks like you've already got someone to help you."
Emma frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing."
"Ethan."
"I'm just saying."
"You're doing it again."
"Doing what?"
"That thing where you say something and pretend it means nothing."
He looked away.
Emma stepped closer.
"Are you jealous?"
His eyes snapped back to hers.
"No."
Too fast.
Emma's lips curved.
"You are."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm really not."
"Then why are you acting weird?"
"I'm not acting weird."
"You've been glaring at Lucas for twenty minutes."
"I wasn't glaring."
"You were."
"I was looking."
"Very aggressively."
Ethan sighed.
Emma laughed.
Then she stopped.
Because beneath the humor, there was something else.
Something real.
"Why does it bother you?" she asked quietly.
Ethan didn't answer.
His eyes stayed on hers.
"Emma..."
"What?"
"I just don't like him."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
She studied him.
"That's not true."
He looked away.
"I just don't."
Emma smiled softly.
"You know, for someone who refuses to tell me what he's thinking, you're surprisingly easy to read."
Ethan looked back at her.
"Maybe you're just good at reading me."
Her smile faded slightly.
There was something about the way he'd said it.
Something intimate.
Before she could respond, Lucas called her name from across the hall.
"Emma!"
She turned.
"I'll see you tonight," Lucas said.
She nodded.
"Okay."
When she looked back at Ethan, his expression had changed.
The softness was gone.
"You're going?"
"To the study group?"
"Yeah."
"Yes."
He nodded.
"Have fun."
Emma frowned.
"Ethan."
"I'm fine."
"You're not."
"I am."
She stared at him.
He gave her a small smile.
"Go."
She hesitated.
Then she walked away.
Ethan watched her leave.
He hated himself for letting jealousy get the better of him.
He hated even more that a small part of him wondered whether Lucas might actually make Emma happier.
Because Lucas was confident.
Easygoing.
Uncomplicated.
Everything Ethan wasn't.
---
That evening, Emma arrived at the study group.
Lucas was already there.
He smiled when he saw her.
"You came."
"I said I would."
"I wasn't sure."
"Why?"
He shrugged.
"Thought maybe your friend would convince you otherwise."
Emma frowned.
"Ethan doesn't tell me what to do."
Lucas smiled.
"Good."
They sat together.
For the next hour, they studied.
Lucas was funny.
He made Emma laugh.
He explained things clearly.
And when she got frustrated, he teased her until she smiled again.
Emma enjoyed herself.
She didn't realize someone else had walked into the room.
Ethan.
He stopped when he saw them.
Lucas leaned toward Emma, pointing at something in her notebook.
Emma laughed.
Ethan's chest tightened.
He almost turned around.
Almost.
Then Emma looked up.
Their eyes met across the room.
Her smile disappeared.
Ethan gave her a small nod.
Then he turned and walked out.
Emma stared after him.
Something inside her sank.
She closed her notebook.
"I'll be right back."
Lucas looked confused.
"Where are you going?"
"To talk to someone."
She hurried outside.
"Ethan!"
He stopped.
But he didn't turn around immediately.
Emma caught up with him.
"What was that?"
"What's what?"
"You came in, saw me, and left."
"I had somewhere to be."
"Where?"
He finally turned.
"Emma, it doesn't matter."
"It matters to me."
His expression softened.
"You don't have to explain yourself to me."
"I know."
"Then why are you?"
"Because I don't want you thinking I was angry."
"Were you?"
He hesitated.
"A little."
"Why?"
He looked at her.
Then, finally, he admitted—
"Because I didn't like seeing you with him."
Emma's heart skipped.
"Ethan..."
"I know it's stupid."
"It's not."
"It is."
"No."
She stepped closer.
"You were jealous."
He looked away.
"Maybe."
Emma smiled.
A small, knowing smile.
"You're terrible at hiding it."
He laughed quietly.
"Apparently."
For a moment, they stood there beneath the soft campus lights.
Emma's voice became quieter.
"You know you could've just told me."
"I know."
"Instead of disappearing."
"I'll work on that."
"Good."
She smiled.
Ethan looked at her.
Then at the building behind her.
"Are you going back?"
Emma shook her head.
"No."
"Why?"
She smiled.
"Because someone is waiting for me."
His heart jumped.
"Who?"
She turned toward him.
"You."
Ethan stared at her.
And for the first time that evening—
he smiled.
A real smile.
The kind Emma had begun to realize she wanted to be the reason for.
They walked back toward the building together.
Neither mentioned Lucas again.
But something had changed.
Ethan had finally shown a crack in his carefully guarded walls.
And Emma had seen it.
More importantly—
she hadn't run from it.
She had stepped closer.