"I..." Clara looked at Ethan, trying to explain, but the words just wouldn't come.
She ended up dropping her gaze, her face lowering a little.
Ethan sat down right next to her without saying a word.
His familiar scent drifted over faintly, making Clara so tense her fingers curled into the fabric of her pajama top.
"Why are you so afraid of me?"
Ethan could feel how tense she was, his dark eyes fixed on her, sharp and unblinking—like a predator out hunting in the quiet dark.
It was... intimidating.
"I'm... not..."
Clara didn't dare look up. She just kept fidgeting with her fingers, all jittery.
"Do I really seem like some kind of monster to you?"
Even with his deep, magnetic voice, it was hard to match that with the word "monster."
She quickly shook her he
