The Space Between

Chapter 20: A surprising turn

Back in our dorm room, the silence between Emma and me was comfortable, but I couldn’t shake the conversation I’d just had with Ethan. I was lost in my thoughts, replaying his words over and over. Emma sat on her bed, watching me with a thoughtful expression.

“Sophia, you know you should give Ethan a fair chance,” Emma finally said, breaking the silence. “I mean, he likes you, like really likes you. He’s been into you since day one—you should’ve seen the way he looked at you back then. It’s not just a crush; he genuinely cares about you.”

I bit my lip, feeling a mix of emotions. “I don’t know, Emma. I mean, I like Ethan, but I’m also… I don’t know. Mateo—there’s something there too, and it’s all just so confusing.”

Emma shook her head with a small smile. “Mateo might be concerned, but that’s not enough. He’s tangled up in his own mess with Bianca and whatever else is going on. Ethan’s the safer option, Soph. He’s kind, he’s always been there for you, and you already have a good bond. That’s worth exploring, don’t you think?”

I nodded slowly, thinking about how gentle Ethan had been with me earlier. Despite the chaos of the day, he’d made me feel safe, and that was something I didn’t want to lose. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. Ethan is… he’s good to me.”

Emma grinned and nudged me playfully. “Exactly! So text him back. Tell him you want to go on that date. Give it a real chance, Sophia.”

After a few moments of deliberation, I picked up my phone and typed out a message to Ethan. My fingers hovered over the send button as doubt briefly clouded my mind, but then I hit send: Let’s make it official—how about that date?

Ethan responded almost immediately, his excitement clear: How about dinner tonight? I know a great place. Let’s do this right.

My heart fluttered, a mix of nerves and anticipation. Emma squealed in delight and jumped up, rifling through her closet. “We’re going to make you look absolutely stunning! Ethan’s not going to know what hit him.”

She laid out a beautiful dress for me, a soft blush color that complemented my skin tone perfectly. She helped me with my makeup, her hands moving expertly as she applied eyeshadow and lipstick. By the time she was done, I barely recognized myself in the mirror. My hair was styled in loose waves, and my eyes sparkled with the makeup Emma had meticulously applied.

“You look gorgeous, Sophia,” Emma said, her eyes shining with pride. “Ethan’s going to be blown away.”

There was a knock on the dorm room door, and my heart leapt in my chest. I opened it to find Ethan standing there, looking like he’d stepped straight out of a fashion magazine. His dark hair was perfectly styled, his sharp jawline accentuated by a hint of stubble. He wore a tailored blazer over a crisp white shirt, dark jeans that fit him just right, and polished shoes. He looked effortlessly handsome.

Ethan’s eyes widened when he saw me. “Wow, Sophia… you look incredible.”

I blushed, my heart racing. “Thank you, Ethan. You look great too.”

We headed out, Ethan leading me to his car. The drive was filled with easy conversation, but when I asked where we were going, he just smiled and said, “It’s a surprise.” We pulled up to an upscale restaurant, the kind with mood lighting and elegant decor that made everything feel special.

Over dinner, Ethan and I talked about everything and nothing all at once. It felt good to laugh, to relax after the chaos of the day. But as the conversation flowed, the weight of my past pressed on me. I knew I needed to be honest, to share my story with him.

“Ethan,” I started, my voice trembling slightly. “There’s something I need to tell you about Derek, about what happened back then.”

Ethan’s expression softened, and he reached across the table, taking my hand in his. “I’m listening, Sophia.”

I took a deep breath and began recounting the painful memories—the intruder, the loss of my sister, Derek’s anger and blame.

I continued talking, recounting the events that led to my sister’s death and the fallout that followed. I could feel Ethan’s grip on the table tighten; his knuckles turned white. His breathing grew heavier, and a storm of emotions flickered across his face—confusion, anger, disbelief. The air between us felt suddenly charged, the tension building with every sentence I spoke.

Ethan’s eyes, usually so warm, now bore into mine with a cold intensity. He leaned back in his chair, shaking his head slightly as if trying to process the gravity of what I had just told him. His voice, when he finally spoke, was low and tight. “Sophia… I don’t even know what to say.” He rubbed his face with his hands, looking like he was grappling with a hundred different thoughts at once.

“You… let him in?” His words were laced with disbelief and frustration.

I nodded, tears welling up. “I didn’t know what would happen—”

Ethan cut me off, his voice rising. “But you still let him in! How could you do that? How could you not see the danger? If that were my sister…” He trailed off, his expression darkening further. The anger in his eyes was something I had never seen before, and it sent a chill down my spine. “I don’t know, Sophia. If that happened to my sister, I’d never be able to forgive you. How could anyone?”

I tried to speak, to explain, but my words faltered under the weight of his reaction. Ethan stood abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor loudly. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration, his breaths coming out fast and heavy. “I just—this is too much. I thought I could handle it, but…” He looked at me, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and something that almost looked like sorrow. “I can't just overlook this, Sophia. I can't pretend it's all okay.”

His words hit me like a slap. I watched as he turned and walked out, his steps quick and deliberate, leaving me sitting there in stunned silence. The evening had turned into something I couldn’t have imagined, my heart heavy with the realization that Ethan’s kindness had limits, that my past was too much for him to bear.

I returned to the dorm, the weight of Ethan’s words pressing down on me. Emma was waiting, her face full of concern as I broke down, recounting every painful detail. I leaned on her shoulder, tears flowing freely, wondering if things would ever be okay again. Ethan’s judgment echoed in my mind, and the guilt that I thought I had buried long ago resurfaced with a vengeance. I couldn’t help but blame myself, all over again.

Back at the dorm, I collapsed into Emma’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably. “He hates me, Emma. Ethan hates me. I don’t know what to do… nothing’s ever going to be okay again.”

Emma held me tightly, whispering reassurances that I struggled to believe. As I cried, the weight of everything—Derek, Ethan, my sister—bore down on me. In that moment, I felt like I was drowning, and I couldn’t see a way out.