Chapter 13: This peony

The walk to campus was longer than it should've been, or maybe it just felt that way because of Ethan. His stride matched mine easily, though he kept his hands stuffed into his hoodie pockets and his head down, like he didn't want to talk. The silence between us wasn't uncomfortable, but it did make me wonder what he was thinking.

I kept sneaking glances at him. Ethan wasn't talking much, but when he did, his voice had that steady, calm vibe I'd started to recognize. He wasn't the loud type, and I liked that, but sometimes it made him seem so distant. Was he distant?

I cleared my throat. "So, uh, this is nice. Walking together. I mean, I didn't expect you to actually wait for me this time."

Ethan glanced over at me but didn't smile. His expression was unreadable, but his voice was as smooth as ever. "You didn't expect me to walk you home?"

I shrugged. "I don't know... I guess I figured you'd be busy or something."

"I'm never too busy for a walk," he said, his voice hinting at something I couldn't quite place.

A strange little flutter of warmth went through me, but I tried not to let it show. "Yeah, well, next time I'll be the one waiting," I teased.

"Maybe," Ethan replied, but he didn't seem very interested in the back-and-forth. Instead, his gaze shifted to the sidewalk, lost in his own thoughts.

"So...," I began, breaking the silence, "what made you decide to actually walk me today?"

Ethan didn't answer right away, and I wondered if he'd even heard me. But after a moment, he let out a quiet sigh.

"I just wanted to," he said softly, like it wasn't something worth questioning.

I wasn't sure how to respond to that. I felt my heart rate pick up a little, but I tried to keep my cool.

"Fair enough," I said.

We kept walking in silence, and I felt myself getting a little too comfortable with it. Comfortable enough to let my guard down.

"Are you okay?" I asked suddenly, surprised by my own voice. "You've been a little quiet today."

Ethan glanced at me again, this time a little longer. "I'm fine," he said, but there was a tightness to his words that didn't escape me.

"You sure?" I pressed, concerned.

He shrugged, pulling one hand from his pocket to adjust his jacket. "Yeah. Just... stuff."

"Stuff?" I echoed, raising a brow.

Ethan gave me a small, almost amused look. "Yeah. Just stuff."

I wanted to push further, but something in his expression told me to let it go. So I did.

When we reached my campus, I stopped at the front entrance, turning to him. "Well," I said awkwardly, "this is me."

Ethan lingered for a moment, looking at me like he wanted to say something but changed his mind. Then, with a small smirk, he asked, "Are you going to leave now?"

I furrowed my brows. "Uh... yeah? I have class."

He shook his head, his smirk growing. "I know. Just making sure you're not skipping."

I scoffed. "As if you'd care."

Ethan just chuckled, stepping back. "See you later, Maiden."

I watched him go, shaking my head as I turned and went inside.

~~~~~

After class, I stepped outside, adjusting my bag strap over my shoulder, and that's when I saw him.

Ethan.

He was standing there near the entrance, leaning against the wall like he'd been waiting.

I blinked, stopping in my tracks. "Ethan?"

He turned his head toward me, his smirk already in place. "Took you long enough."

My confusion deepened. "Wait—have you been standing here this whole time?"

Ethan shrugged, pushing off the wall. "Maybe."

My lips parted slightly. "But... why?"

He tilted his head, like the answer should've been obvious. "I told you I was walking you home."

I stared at him, not sure whether I was touched or just really confused. "Ethan... you didn't have to wait all this time."

He grinned lazily. "I know. But I wanted to."

I was pretty sure my face was about to catch fire. I turned away, suddenly very focused on adjusting my bag strap. "Well... let's go, then."

Ethan chuckled, and we fell into step together again.

~~~~

When I finally got home, I barely had time to set my bag down before Rachel was on me.

"Okay, explain."

I blinked. "What?"

Rachel stood in the middle of the living room, arms crossed, eyes narrowed like she was interrogating me. "Why didn't you text me after class? You've been quiet since our last conversation about Ethan bailing, and then—" she pointed toward the window dramatically "—I saw you walking up with a guy. A tall guy."

I froze. Oh.

Rachel's eyes widened. "Wait... that was Ethan, wasn't it?"

I hesitated. That was all the confirmation she needed.

"Oh my God," she gasped, rushing over to me. "Spill. Right now."

I groaned, walking past her to flop onto the couch. "There's nothing to spill."

Rachel plopped down beside me, poking my arm. "Lies. You were mad this morning when he didn't show up. Now, suddenly, he's walking you home? What happened?"

I sighed, covering my face with my hands. "I don't know! He just... showed up."

Rachel gave me a look. "And?"

"And he said he wanted to walk me home."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Out of nowhere?"

"Apparently, he was waiting outside since the time he usually comes to the store."

Rachel's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me?"

"Nope."

Rachel smacked my arm. "Lily!"

"What?" I whined.

"Do you realize what this means?" she demanded.

I shook my head. "It means he's weird?"

"It means he likes you!"

My face went hot. "Rachel—"

"No, seriously," she continued, eyes bright with excitement. "He waited for you. He's putting in effort. This is, like, rom-com level devotion."

I groaned, shoving a pillow over my face. "Please stop."

Rachel cackled. "Oh, you love it."

I muttered something incoherent into the pillow.

Rachel grabbed a handful of chips from the coffee table and nudged me with her foot. "Alright, but be honest—how do you feel about it?"

I peeked out from under the pillow, my voice quiet. "I don't know. I mean... I was mad when he didn't show up earlier, but when I saw him after class..." I bit my lip. "I don't know. I was just... happy, I guess."

Rachel grinned. "Oh, you are so falling for him."

I groaned again, grabbing a chip to throw at her.

She just laughed, popping another one into her mouth. "Don't fight it, babe. Just enjoy it."

Easier said than done.

Because if I was falling for him... I had no idea what I was supposed to do next.