Ethan kept his distance.
Not because he wanted to—
but because he knew how dangerous it was to want too much.
Emily noticed.
He didn't touch her.
Didn't cross lines.
But he was always there.
When a client questioned her work, Ethan shut it down immediately.
When she stayed late, security somehow waited with her.
When she forgot lunch, food appeared on her desk without a word.
It felt… familiar.
Protective.
One evening, Emily finally confronted him.
"Why do you do that?" she asked quietly.
Ethan looked up from his laptop. "Do what?"
"Watch over me," she said. "Like I'm made of glass."
His jaw tightened.
"You always were reckless," he replied.
"That's not an answer."
Silence filled the room.
Finally, he stood.
"I didn't leave because I stopped loving you," he said, his voice low. "I left because staying would have destroyed everything."
Emily's breath caught.
"Destroyed what?" she asked.
Ethan turned away.
"You," he said.
She stared at his back, her heart pounding.
"That doesn't make sense."
"It does," he replied quietly. "Just not in the way you think."
He walked out, leaving her with more questions than answers.
For the first time since he returned, Emily realized something terrifying.
Ethan hadn't left because he wanted to.
He had left because he was afraid of what would happen if he stayed.