Maya thought the library would offer her solace, a quiet space to bury herself in work and forget about everything else. But as she sat at her usual table, staring at her untouched laptop screen, her mind was far from quiet. Ethan’s words echoed in her head.
"Maybe we could just figure it out together."
The sincerity in his voice had shaken her. No one had ever looked at her like that before, with a mix of frustration and care that felt so deeply personal. It scared her.
“Stop thinking about him,” she muttered under her breath, forcing herself to open her notes.
But even as she tried to focus on her project, the cracks in her armor widened. Every moment she spent pushing Ethan away seemed to make the walls around her heart weaker.
Her phone buzzed, pulling her out of her thoughts. It was Lila.
Lila: Hey, you okay? Saw you and Ethan earlier. Looked intense.
Maya: I’m fine. Just stressed about the project.
Lila: Right... sure. Let me know if you wanna talk.
Maya stared at the screen for a moment before locking her phone. Talking wouldn’t help. Not when she didn’t even know what she was feeling.
She sighed and returned to her laptop, but before she could type a single word, a shadow fell across the table.
“Maya.”
She looked up, and her stomach dropped. Ethan.
“Seriously?” she muttered. “Do you not understand the concept of space?”
Ethan gave her a small, almost sheepish smile as he sat down across from her. “I get it. You’re mad. But we need to talk.”
“We’ve talked enough,” she said, her voice icy.
“Apparently not,” he shot back, leaning forward. “Because I still don’t understand why you keep running from me.”
Maya clenched her jaw, her frustration boiling over. “I’m not running. I’m just trying to focus on what’s important.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow. “And I’m not important?”
“That’s not what I meant,” she snapped, then groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Why do you always have to twist my words?”
“I’m not twisting anything,” Ethan said, his voice quieter now. “I just... I don’t get it, Maya. One minute we’re fine, and the next, you’re acting like I’m some kind of problem you need to solve.”
“Maybe because you are a problem,” she said, her words sharper than she intended.
Ethan flinched, and for a moment, Maya regretted her outburst. But before she could say anything, he spoke again.
“You know what your problem is?” he said, his tone calm but cutting. “You’re so scared of letting anyone in that you push people away before they even get close.”
Maya froze, his words hitting her like a punch to the gut.
“I don’t—” she started, but he cut her off.
“Yes, you do,” he said, his gaze steady. “You’re always so focused on being perfect, on having everything under control, that you don’t let yourself feel anything real. You think if you keep people at arm’s length, you won’t get hurt. But guess what, Maya? You’re still hurting.”
His words cracked something inside her, and for a moment, she didn’t know how to respond.
“You don’t know me,” she said finally, her voice trembling.
Ethan leaned back, his expression softening. “Maybe I don’t. But I want to.”
The vulnerability in his voice made her heart ache, and she hated him for it. Hated the way he made her feel so exposed, so raw.
“You don’t get it,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t let myself...” She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
“Can’t let yourself what?” he pressed gently.
“Care,” she admitted, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. “Because if I care, then it hurts when it falls apart.”
Ethan was quiet for a moment, then reached across the table, his hand resting lightly on hers.
“Maya,” he said softly, “not everything falls apart. And even if it does... maybe it’s worth it.”
Her breath hitched at his words, and for a moment, she let herself believe him. Let herself imagine what it would be like to let someone in, to stop fighting and just... feel.
But then the fear crept back in, stronger than ever. She pulled her hand away, shaking her head.
“I can’t,” she said, her voice breaking. “I’m sorry.”
She grabbed her things and stood, avoiding his gaze.
“Maya,” Ethan called after her, but she didn’t look back.
As she walked away, her heart felt heavy, torn between the walls she had built and the boy who was determined to break them down.
YOU ARE READING
Until forever...
ChickLitMaya never believed in fate, especially not when it involved bad boys with leather jackets and smug smiles. She had her life perfectly planned-top of her class in computer science, a clear path to a successful career, and zero time for distractions...
