Emily's pulse was still rattling in her ears. The garden felt colder now, though it might have just been the shadows of the man in front of her. Ethan loosened his grip on her, letting his hand fall with casual disinterest.
"You are lost," he said, as if announcing the weather
Emily nodded stiffly, "I was ... looking for the administrative building."
"I'll take you there."
It wasn't an offer, it was a statement, one she didn't dare argue with. He fell into step beside her, his stride unhurried, with hands in his pocket as if strolling with strangers was his daily past time.
The moment they stepped back onto the main path, eyes turned, conversations stalled. Whispers rose.
"That's Ethan Monaco."
"Who's the girl?"
" Wait, isn't that the church girl?"
"She's done for."
Emily kept her gaze fixed on the ground, painfully aware of how her plain dress and white rosary made her look like a saint who had taken a very wrong turn. Beside her, Ethan seemed utterly oblivious or maybe he just enjoyed the attention. When they reached the administrative building, Emily muttered a quick thanks before dashing into the building.
15 minutes later she came out looking utterly lost.
Surprised, she saw Ethan leaning against the wall eyes closed, immediately he sensed her, he opened his eyes and said "let's go"
She always find his statements commanding but she never dared to disobey them. He asked her
"Do you like ice cream?"
The question was so ordinary, it startled her. She hesitated and that hesitation was enough answer for him.
"Good," he said "let's get some ."
Minutes later, Emily found herself at a small campus cafe,a melting cone in hand. Ethan had ordered from her without asking, sliding the desert across the table with an ease that felt practiced. Ethan leaned back in his chair studying her like a riddle he had already solved. She tried to focus on her come, but the weight of his gaze made it difficult. And somewhere between the whispers outside and the silent challenge in his eyes
Emily felt a dangerous shift.