The silence between us that followed lingered a little too long, stretching like a held breath. Ethan’s gaze was steady, too steady, like he was waiting for me to look away first.
I did. Obviously. Because I’m not about to melt under his stupidly brown eyes.
“Well,” I said, clearing my throat. “I should go. I promised my bed I’d return before it filed a missing-person report.”
Ethan grinned. “You always this funny when you’re trying to run away?”
“Run away?” I scoffed. “No. Just prioritizing my mental health.”
He chuckled, that low sound that always seemed to crawl under my skin. “Sure, June. Keep telling yourself that.”
And just like that, he fell into step beside me as I started walking toward the dorms.
I glanced sideways at him. “You know, you could go your own way. It’s not a g
