THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HALLWAY

Chapter 5: The Right Side of the Hallway

(Riley's POV)

Riley felt off for the rest of the day.

It wasn't supposed to be a big deal. Seeing Ethan. Hearing him say her last name like she was just another person in the hallway.

It shouldn't have mattered.

But it did.

Jason didn't notice. Of course, he didn't. He just squeezed her waist, murmured something about practice, and kissed her temple before heading off down the hall like Ethan hadn't just sliced through her composure with a single word.

No one else noticed either.

Because why would they?

Two years ago, Riley Carter had been just a girl. Ethan Hayes' best friend. The girl who spent half her time at his house, who sat beside him at lunch, who knew him better than anyone.

Now?

Now she was one of them.

The right clothes. The right friends. The right boyfriend.

Jason was perfect. Tall, handsome, safe.He never made things complicated, never made her think about things she didn't want to think about.

And that's what she wanted.

That's what she chose.

So why was her heart still racing?

---

Lunch Period – The Popular Table

"…and then Coach said if we don't get our free throws up, we're running suicides all next week."

Riley wasn't listening.

The lunch table was buzzing—Jason and his teammates arguing over stats, Chloe and the other girls gossiping about some senior's birthday party, people laughing, flirting, existing in a world that was easy, effortless.

Riley used to love this. She used to feel at home here.

But right now, all she could focus on was the table across the cafeteria.

The one Ethan was sitting at.

Or, not sitting at.

Because it was empty.

And it wasn't like she was looking for him. She wasn't.

But the fact that he wasn't there? **That did something to her.

"…Riley?"

She blinked, realizing Chloe was staring at her.

"Hmm?"

Chloe smirked. "Wow, you're totally out of it today. You okay?"

"Yeah," Riley said quickly. "Just tired."

Jason draped an arm over her shoulder. "You're probably overthinking that Calc test."

She forced a smile, nodding.

It was easier than saying the truth.

That Ethan Hayes was back.

And for the first time in two years, she didn't know what to do about it.

---

The Art Room – After School

She found him by accident.

Riley hadn't meant to go looking for him.

She was supposed to be waiting for Jason after practice, but something pulled her feet in the opposite direction, toward the quiet halls at the back of the school.

And that's when she saw him.

Ethan.

Sitting alone in the art room, back hunched over a sketchbook, charcoal smudging his fingertips.

Her breath caught.

She hadn't seen him draw in years.

Riley hovered at the doorway, watching as he sketched, completely unaware of her presence. His dark sweater was slightly wrinkled, his hair still a little messy from the morning, his lips pressed together in quiet concentration.

It hit her then—how much he had changed.

The boy she used to know had been quiet, but never like this. Never like a shadow.

She stepped forward before she could stop herself.

"Ethan."

His pencil froze.

For a second, he didn't look up. Didn't move.

Then, finally, he turned his head.

And the moment their eyes met, Riley felt something crack wide open inside her.

Because in that second, she saw it—all the hurt, all the anger, all the things she had been too much of a coward to face.

And then, just as quickly, he shut it down.

His face went blank, his eyes dull, his walls slamming back into place.

"What do you want?"

Her heart clenched.

"I—" She hesitated. What did she want?

To fix things? To apologize? To go back?

She didn't know.

All she knew was that Ethan was here.

And she wasn't ready to lose him again.