The lodge was quiet.
Most of the girls had gone to bed hours ago. Only Lena and Ethan remained, books and notebooks scattered across the small desk in Ethan's room.
"You're really going to stay up this late just for math?" Lena asked, half teasing, half tired.
Ethan shrugged, leaning back against the bed. "I like studying… and you make it less boring."
Lena felt her heart skip. You make it less boring. The words hung in the air longer than they should have.
She tried to hide the small smile creeping onto her face.
Hours passed. Pages turned. Pencil scratches filled the quiet. Occasionally, a book would fall off the desk, or one of them would spill a little coffee, and the room would echo with soft laughter.
By midnight, Lena's eyelids were heavy.
"I—think I'm done," she said quietly, closing her notebook.
Ethan looked up, eyes calm but sharp. "You should rest. I don't want you falling asleep on your notes."
Lena hesitated. "I… I don't want to leave yet."
The words surprised even her. She didn't know why she felt that way—why being alone with him felt safer than any bed in the lodge.
Ethan raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Then stay."
And just like that, Lena crawled onto the floor beside the bed, careful not to touch him too much. But the warmth of his presence, the quiet strength he radiated, made it impossible to keep her distance.
"Feels like… the world disappears when I'm here," she whispered.
Ethan's hand brushed hers, almost accidentally, almost on purpose. She didn't move it away.
Minutes slipped by.
Every time the wind rattled the window, or the old lodge creaked, Lena flinched, and Ethan would instinctively pull her a little closer. His arm draped lightly over her shoulder. His hand brushed against her back. Every small touch made her pulse race.
And then, without warning, he leaned down and kissed her.
Soft. Gentle. Electric.
Lena didn't resist, but she felt the familiar line she wasn't ready to cross. She pulled back slightly, whispering, "Ethan… no further."
He nodded, his forehead resting against hers. "I know."
The tension didn't disappear. It didn't need to.
They stayed like that for the rest of the night. Lena eventually fell asleep, her head resting lightly on his shoulder. Ethan watched her, heart heavy and full at the same time. He wanted more—wanted everything—but knew they couldn't. Not yet.
Morning came too quickly. Lena awoke, slightly panicked, realizing she had spent the entire night in his room. She jumped up, brushing her hair back, avoiding his eyes.
"Did you sleep okay?" Ethan asked quietly.
"Yes… fine," she murmured, cheeks burning.
He nodded, saying nothing more.
That night became a pattern. Late-night study sessions. Midnight movies. Soft touches. Kisses in the dark. And every time Lena stayed over, she kept the line—no further than what she could handle.
But secrets had a way of slipping out.
And Lena knew, deep down, one day… someone would find out.