Maya's thumb still hovered over the send button when footsteps echoed in the hallway outside her room. Heavy. Deliberate. They stopped at her door.
Three sharp knocks.
She shoved the burner phone under her mattress and opened the door.
Ethan stood there, jaw tight, arms crossed. Behind him, the hallway was empty.
"We need to talk."
"Now's not really—"
"Now." He pushed past her into the room, and she had no choice but to close the door behind him. Her heart hammered against her ribs.
He can't be here. If someone sees—
"What happened today?" He turned to face her, and the anger in his expression made her take a step back. "And don't give me that exhaustion bullshit. I watched you collapse like someone cut your strings."
"Dr. Lee said—"
"I don't care what Dr. Lee said." His voice was low but sharp. "I care what you say. Because you've been off all week, and today you looked like you'd seen a ghost before practice even started."
