The rest of the day passed in a haze, my mind constantly drifting back to that moment in the elevator. Ethan's presence had shaken me more than I'd like to admit. His cold, distant demeanor wasn't something I was used to, and yet, for some reason, it kept drawing me in.
I was trying my best to keep things together when, at lunch, I received a message from Jason.
"I'm coming over tonight. Let's spend the evening together."
A small part of me wanted to feel excited, but another part—a much bigger part—felt nothing but exhaustion.
The idea of pretending everything was okay with Jason, after everything I had discovered, made my chest tighten. But I didn't want to confront him yet. Not now.
I needed time.
So, I threw myself into work.
The rest of the day passed by in a blur of emails, meetings, and forced smiles. It wasn't until late in the afternoon that I found myself face to face with Ethan again.
This time, it wasn't by chance.
He was standing at the coffee machine when I walked in, his tall frame looming in the corner of my eye. The moment I saw him, I felt my heart race for no good reason.
What was wrong with me?
I tried to act casual, but my voice faltered when I spoke. "Hey, Ethan. How's it going?"
He glanced at me, his expression unreadable. "Same as always," he said, barely glancing at me.
I nodded, feeling the awkwardness settle between us like a thick fog.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
And then, without warning, Ethan turned to me with a faint smirk on his lips.
"I'm guessing you're still avoiding me?"
I froze.
Avoiding him? Was that what I was doing?
"Excuse me?" I replied, feeling a sharp edge in my voice.
"You're a little nervous around me, aren't you?" He took a step closer, his dark eyes locked onto mine. The space between us felt impossibly small.
I swallowed, the sudden tension in the air making it hard to breathe. My heartbeat quickened. Why did this feel like more than just a conversation?
"I'm not avoiding you," I said, my voice sounding more defensive than I intended.
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you keep looking away?"
Before I could reply, Jason appeared at the doorway, his familiar smile brightening the space. "Vanessa! You ready to go?"
I felt a wave of relief rush over me. But I wasn't sure why. Was it because I wanted to escape the tension with Ethan? Or was it because I didn't want Jason to see how close I was standing to his roommate?
Either way, I quickly walked toward Jason, not looking back.