I didn't sleep that night.
Not properly.
Every time I closed my eyes
I saw him.
The way he looked at me.
The way his voice softened when he said my name.
The way he almost said something that could've changed everything.
"Maybe I've been trying to stop for a long time…"
Stop what?
Thinking about me?
Wanting me?
I groaned, turning over in bed.
"This is bad," I whispered to myself.
Very bad.
Because the worst part wasn't him.
It was me.
I felt it too.
And no matter how much I tried to deny it
it wasn't going away.
"Lara!"
I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Lara, wake up!"
I sighed. "Maya, please…"
"Nope. Get up. We're going out again."
I turned slowly to face her. "Again?"
"Yes, again. And this time, you're not zoning out every five seconds."
I forced a small smile. "I wasn't zoning out."
"You were."
She studied me for a moment longer than usual.
And for a second
I felt it.
That tiny flicker of suspicion.
"You okay?" she asked.
Too casually.
"Of course," I said quickly. "Why wouldn't I be?"
She shrugged. "I don't know… you've just been a little… off."
My heart skipped.
"I'm fine, Maya."
"Mm."
She didn't look fully convinced.
Great.
That's exactly what I didn't need.
"Come on," she said, grabbing my hand. "Let's go eat. I'm starving."
We headed downstairs together, laughing lightly about something random.
I tried to relax.
To act normal.
To stop overthinking everything.
But the moment we stepped into the kitchen
everything shifted again.
Because Ethan was already there.
And just like always
his eyes found mine first.
That same look.
That same intensity.
Like nothing else in the room mattered.
"Morning," Maya said, grabbing juice from the fridge.
"Morning," he replied.
But again
he wasn't looking at her.
I forced myself to look away first.
Because I had to.
Because if I didn't
I'd forget how to act normal.
"Lara," Maya said suddenly, "can you help me grab something from the pantry?"
"Yeah, sure."
Anything to escape that stare.
We walked a few steps away, and she leaned closer.
"You and Ethan are acting weird."
My heart dropped.
"What? No, we're not."
"Yes, you are."
"No, we're not."
"Lara."
I sighed, trying to stay calm. "Maya, it's nothing. He's just… being his usual self."
She narrowed her eyes slightly. "He doesn't look at people like that."
My stomach tightened.
"Like what?"
"Like he's trying to figure them out."
I forced a laugh. "You're overthinking."
She held my gaze for a moment longer…
then sighed.
"Maybe."
But something told me
she wasn't fully convinced.
And that scared me more than anything else.
We went back to the kitchen.
Everything felt normal again.
Too normal.
Like we were all pretending something wasn't happening.
"Are you coming with us?" Maya asked Ethan.
"No."
"Why?"
"I have things to do."
I exhaled quietly.
Good.
Distance was good.
Safe.
"Your loss," Maya shrugged.
But just as we were about to leave
"Actually," Ethan said suddenly.
We both turned.
"I'll come."
My heart skipped.
Maya smiled. "Wow, okay. This is new."
"Don't get used to it."
But his eyes
they were on me again.
And I knew.
He wasn't coming for Maya.
He was coming because of me.
The entire outing felt different.
At first, everything was fine.
We talked, laughed, moved from place to place.
But slowly
I started noticing it.
Ethan stayed close.
Not obviously.
Not in a way anyone could easily call out.
But close enough that I felt it.
Every time someone bumped into me
he noticed.
Every time I slowed down
he adjusted.
Every time a guy looked a little too long
his expression shifted.
And then
it happened again.
"Hey, Lara."
I turned.
Daniel.
"Hi," I said politely.
"Didn't get to finish our conversation yesterday," he smiled. "Can I steal you for a second?"
Before I could answer
"No."
My heart dropped.
Ethan.
Standing right beside me now.
Too close.
Too firm.
Too… obvious.
Daniel blinked. "Uh… I was asking her."
"I heard you."
The air turned tense instantly.
"Ethan," I said quietly, "it's fine."
"No, it's not."
I stared at him.
"Why are you doing this?"
His jaw tightened.
"Because you're not careful enough."
I frowned. "Careful about what?"
He stepped closer.
Lowered his voice.
"About who you let get close to you."
My heart started racing again.
"That's my decision," I said softly.
"I know."
"Then act like it."
For a moment
we just stared at each other.
That same pull.
That same tension.
That same thing we were both trying—and failing—to control.
"Look," I said finally, "you don't get to control who I talk to."
"I'm not trying to control you."
"It feels like it."
He exhaled slowly.
Like he was holding something back."
"I'm trying to protect you."
My breath caught.
"From what?"
His gaze softened slightly.
But his answer?
"From me."
Everything inside me stilled.
"What does that even mean?" I whispered.
But before he could answer
"Okay!" Maya's voice cut in, walking back toward us. "Why do you both look like you're about to fight?"
We stepped apart instantly.
"Nothing," I said quickly.
Maya looked between us.
Again.
That same look.
Suspicious.
"I feel like I'm missing something," she muttered.
I forced a smile.
"You're not."
But deep down
I knew.
We couldn't keep doing this.
The looks.
The tension.
The almost-confessions.
Because sooner or later
Maya would figure it out.
And when she did?
Everything would fall apart.