Ethan’s POV
I stormed up the stairs without looking back. My boots thudded hard on each step, the sound echoing in the quiet house. The higher I climbed, the heavier everything felt—like I was carrying something too big in my chest. I didn’t know if I was mad at Elle, or myself, or maybe just everything. Probably all of it. My hands were curled into fists at my sides, and heat burned under my skin like fire I couldn’t put out.
When I reached my room, my jaw was so tight it hurt. I shoved the door open, ready to shut the whole world out. But the second I stepped inside, I stopped.
Her scent was still in the air. Sweet, soft, a little wild. It hit me before I could prepare for it. My eyes went to the bed. The blankets were a little messed up, the pillows slightly moved—signs she had been
