Starting over

"Hey! Here take a bite of this. Tastes pretty damn good." Ethan tossed a fruit that looked like an apple but was completely purple inside.

Lia stole a glance at Ethan as he casually leaned against the tree, chewing on his fruit without a care in the world. He had this reckless confidence, this way of acting like nothing could truly break him. Even when he was half-dead, bleeding, or barely standing, he never let himself falter.

She admired that.

Maybe more than she should.

She quickly looked down, her fingers tightening around the half-eaten fruit in her hands. Ethan didn't notice her staring. He never did. Not that she wanted him to. Right? She took another bite, but the sweet taste had nothing on the strange fluttering in her chest.

"Something wrong?" Ethan's voice cut through the quiet.

Lia tensed. "Huh? N-no. Why?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow at her stammer, his sharp eyes flickering with amusement. "You're acting weird."