When Love Falls Silent

Grace

I left.

Yes, that's what I did. He confessed to me and told me to be his girlfriend.

There he stood, waiting for my answer, and I froze for a moment. Then, without a word, I turned around and left. To be honest, I was creeped out. In my entire life, no one had ever asked me out, and now this guy, who had just poured his heart out, stood there, waiting for a response. I wasn't in my right mind because I hadn't expected him to say something like that.

I went straight home, lying down and pondering what I had done. I even skipped the evening class and told Daniel that I had left early due to stomach pain. How could anyone understand my actions when I was behaving so erratically? Just earlier, I had left him and pushed him away, and today, I was wandering all over the university, hoping to bump into him.

"Why are we circling our university, Grace? We've already taken three full rounds, and you still want to go for more," Daniel remarked.

Lost in my search for Ethan, I hadn't even noticed that Daniel had been with me the whole time. When I finally registered his words, I turned toward him and said, "Oh, sorry. I didn't notice." "It's okay, you never do," he replied.

I spun around once more, now moving backward as I faced him while he walked forward, his gaze fixed on me. "What?" I asked, puzzled by his comment. When had I not noticed him? And why was he saying this now?

He didn't respond, just continued walking while keeping his eyes on me. I kept walking backward until he pushed me toward him, and I nearly collided with his chest.

"Walk straight, Grace," he said firmly. I pushed myself away from him and turned around just in time to avoid bumping into a group of gathered students. He is nice.

As I walked towards the class, I realized that finding Ethan was proving futile. I had scoured all the usual places, but it was time for our class, so Daniel suggested we head to our lecture. We ascended to the second floor of the building.

Just before entering the classroom, I decided to use the restroom. Daniel headed to class a bit earlier.

After using the restroom, I stepped out and my phone pinged with a message from Daniel: "Your favorite teacher is taking roll call. Come fast."

I couldn't help but smile; we had a running joke about referring to people we disliked as our "favorites." I pocketed my phone and started making my way to class.

However, just as I approached the classroom door, it started closing abruptly. I instinctively closed my eyes, expecting a collision.

But, strangely, it didn't happen. I cautiously opened my eyes, and to my surprise, the door had stopped inches away from hitting me. I looked to the side and realized there was a hand on the door, holding it back. My gaze continued upwards, and I turned my head slightly, nearly colliding with the chest of none other than Ethan.

Our eyes locked, and I found myself looking up at him, his presence towering over me. It felt like time stood still, with his body pressed against my back, his unique scent filling my senses, his lips so close to mine, and his gaze locking me in. I wanted to savor this moment, but Ethan broke the contact by taking a step back and pushing the door fully open. The door hit the wall with a thud.

I cleared my throat, breaking the lingering tension, and tried to avoid eye contact with anyone. As I passed the other students, I could feel their curious stares on me. Even the roll call had come to a halt, and our professor was regarding us with a puzzled expression. I quickly found an empty seat in the middle of the classroom, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.