Liora barely slept.
Adrian's words from yesterday clung to her like shadows—I decide how high you stand, and how far you fall.
She hated how they echoed in her head. Hated how his nearness still made her heart race, not from affection but from fear and fury tangled too tightly together.
By morning, her eyes burned with exhaustion. But when she stepped onto campus, she forced her shoulders straight and lifted her chin. She wouldn't let him see her crack.
She didn't expect Ethan to notice. But he did.
He was leaning against the library steps, sipping from a paper cup, when he spotted her. His brows furrowed instantly.
"You look like you lost a fight with a thunderstorm," he said, walking toward her.
Liora blinked, caught off guard. "What?"
Ethan shrugged, his tone light but his eyes serious. "Dark circles, tired eyes… let me guess. Adrian?"
Her chest tightened, but she stayed silent.
Ethan didn't push. Instead, he handed her the paper cup. "Here. Coffee. You look like you need it more than I do."
She hesitated, then took it. The warmth seeped through her fingers, and for the first time since yesterday, she felt a little less cold.
"Thanks," she muttered.
"No problem. Consider it a survival kit." He grinned. "Step one: caffeine. Step two: sit with me before Adrian finds another way to make your life hell."
Liora almost smiled. Almost.
They sat under the same tree from before, books spread out between them. But this time, the silence wasn't heavy. It was comfortable.
Ethan cracked jokes about professors, rolled his eyes at the ridiculous campus gossip, and even mocked Adrian's fan club—quietly enough not to be overheard, but boldly enough to make her laugh.
Real laughter. The kind that loosened the knot in her chest.
At one point, Ethan looked at her with that steady warmth again. "You know, you don't have to fight him alone."
Her smile faded. "That's easy for you to say. He doesn't target you."
"Doesn't mean I won't stand there when he tries." Ethan leaned back, folding his arms behind his head. "I don't care if Adrian hates me. Someone needs to watch your back."
The words settled over her like a shield. Strange. She had always believed she had to carry her battles alone. But Ethan… he made her believe she wasn't completely defenseless.
When the lecture bell rang, they packed up together.
Of course, Adrian was waiting outside the hall.
His gaze immediately dropped to the sight of Ethan walking beside her. His smirk was gone. His jaw tightened.
Liora braced herself, but Ethan's hand brushed against hers—not holding, just a quiet reminder. I'm here.
Adrian's voice was low, sharp. "Enjoying yourself, stray?"
Liora's pulse spiked, but before she could answer, Ethan cut in.
"She's not your toy, Adrian. Find someone else to play your games with."
Students nearby froze, whispering, staring.
Adrian's eyes darkened. He stepped closer, but Ethan didn't flinch.
For the first time, Liora saw Adrian hesitate—not because of fear, but because someone dared to stand between him and his target.
The tension was a storm about to break.
And Liora, caught in the middle, realized something.
Adrian might have the power to cage her.
But Ethan had given her something far more dangerous to him.
Hope.