Lena barely made it through the rest of the school day without feeling like a complete wreck. Ethan's cold shoulder wasn't just frustratingâit hurt. Every time she caught a glimpse of him in the hallway, his expression remained unreadable, distant.
By the time the final bell rang, she had made a decision. She wasn't going to let this drag on forever.
So when she spotted Ethan at his locker, she didn't hesitate. Marching up to him, she planted herself directly in his line of sight. "Ethan, we need to talk."
Ethan didn't even look at her. "Don't feel like talking."
Lena let out a breath, crossing her arms. "Too bad."
He let out a humorless laugh, finally turning to face her. "Oh, so now you care what I think?"
Her chest tightened. "That's not fair."
Ethan slammed his locker shut. "Really? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you didn't give a damn about how I'd feel when you decided to sneak around with Jaxon."
"We weren't sneaking around!" she protested. "It just... happened. I wasn't trying to hide anything from you."
Ethan's jaw clenched. "Then why didn't you tell me you liked him? Why did I have to find out like that? Do you have any idea how that felt?"
Lena swallowed, guilt settling in her stomach like a brick. "I was scared."
Ethan scoffed. "Of what? Me?"
"Of losing you, Ethan!" she burst out. "I knew you wouldn't like it, and I didn't want to ruin everything. But I alsoâI also didn't expect it to mean something."
That made Ethan pause. His expression flickered, something softer beneath the anger. "And does it?"
Lena hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. It does."
Ethan exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Lena... he's my brother."
"And you're my best friend," she countered. "Do you really think I'd ever do anything to purposely hurt you?"
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he studied her, as if weighing whether or not he could believe her.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he sighed. "I don't know what to do with this."
Lena's shoulders slumped. "Then let's figure it out. Together."
Ethan's gaze shifted past her, his expression darkening.
Lena followed his line of sight and immediately regretted it.
Jaxon was leaning against a nearby row of lockers, watching them.
And he did not look amused.