But when she looked at Ethan, he wasn't smirking or teasing.
He just looked tired. Honest. Like he really meant it without anything weird behind his words.
Slowly, Tara nodded, chewing the inside of her cheek. "Alright... just to rest," she mumbled, warning herself more than him.
Ethan smiled, an actual soft smile and shifted over, giving her as much space as he could on the narrow bed.
Tara lay down carefully, facing the opposite side to give space between them.
The bed creaked lightly under their weight, but otherwise, it was quiet.
Very, very quiet.
Tara lay stiffly, staring at the cracked ceiling, feeling Ethan's warmth nearby.
Her heart beat awkwardly fast…not from fear, but from something unfamiliar.
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to think about it.
Meanwhile, Ethan lay perfectly still too, arms tucked behind his head, staring at the ceiling.
"This is not how I imagined today would go," he muttered under his breath with a small, tired chuckle.
