THE ONE WHERE EVERYONE NOTICES

Chapter 15: The One Where Everyone Notices

(Featuring Ava's Investigation, Noah's Chaos, and Ethan's Increasingly Fragile Sanity)

Ava – The Inquisition Begins

Ava Hayes was many things.

A gifted child. A rising menace. A master of getting information.

And today?

Today, she was on a mission.

She had been minding her business (aka secretly spying on her brother) when she overheard something interesting in the hallway.

Riley Carter. Fundraiser project. Art supply closet. Ethan saved her.

Ava nearly dropped her lunch tray.

She needed details. Immediately.

So that afternoon, she waited in Ethan's room like a horror movie villain.

The second he walked in, she pounced.

"You touched her," she said, sitting cross-legged on his bed.

Ethan stopped mid-step, blinking at her. "What?"

Ava grinned. "You. Touched. Riley. Physically."

Ethan sighed. "No."

She waved her phone. "I have eyewitness testimony."

Ethan rubbed his face. "Jesus Christ."

"So?" Ava wiggled her eyebrows. "How was it?"

Ethan gave her the blankest look in existence. "I saved her from being crushed by a shelf. It wasn't romantic, Ava."

"Was there electricity?"

"No."

"Did your heart race?"

"No."

"Did she gasp dramatically and fall into your arms?"

Ethan gritted his teeth. "I caught her. That's it."

Ava gasped. "So you admit you caught her."

Ethan walked out.

Ava followed.

"ETHAN, YOU CAN'T RUN FROM THE TRUTH."

Noah – Emotional Torture Is His Hobby

Noah Kingston was having the time of his life.

It had been three days since the "Riley Carter Almost Died" incident, and Ethan had been grumpier than usual.

Which meant one thing.

It was time for a check-in.

Noah cornered Ethan in the parking lot after school, slamming his hand on his car door.

"Talk to me, brooding one."

Ethan sighed. "Move, Kingston."

"Not until you admit your tragic romance novel feelings."

"I don't have feelings."

Noah leaned closer. "Then why do you look like a man who listened to one too many sad songs on repeat?"

Ethan opened his car door. Noah got inside.

Ethan stared. "What are you doing?"

Noah buckled his seatbelt. "Trapping you in a moving vehicle so you can't escape this conversation."

Ethan started the car. Contemplated murder.

"So," Noah said, propping his feet on the dash. "Let's discuss your hormones."

Ethan drove faster.

Riley – Her Own Personal Hell

Riley had officially lost control of her life.

Because now?

Now, she wasn't the only one noticing the way she acted around Ethan.

Chloe had noticed.

Which was very, very bad.

Because Chloe had zero chill.

"So," Chloe said, taking a long sip of her smoothie. "You and Ethan."

Riley nearly choked on her fries. "What?"

Chloe twirled her straw. "You've been weird. Like, extra weird."

"I have not."

"You totally have." Chloe leaned in. "Do you still like him?"

Riley's stomach flipped. "No."

Chloe squinted. "That was a very fast answer."

Riley forced a laugh. "Because it's true."

Chloe tapped her fingers against the table. "Hmm."

"What?"

"You're lying to yourself."

Riley took a very aggressive bite of her burger.

Because she wasn't lying.

She wasn't.

Right?

Ethan – The Last Straw

Ethan had survived Ava's interrogation.

He had survived Noah's car hostage situation.

But now?

Now, he had to survive Riley.

Because somehow, someway, the universe had once again trapped them together.

Again.

This time?

They were stuck decorating the gym together for the fundraiser event.

At night.

Alone.

Ethan stood in the middle of the gym, watching Riley struggle with a ladder.

Riley: dangerously close to falling to her death.

Ethan: regretting every life choice that led to this moment.

"Riley," he said, exasperated. "Get down."

"I got it," she said, stretching to hang a banner.

"You're literally wobbling."

"I got it—"

The ladder shifted.

Ethan moved without thinking.

Caught her.

Again.

This was getting ridiculous.

For a second, neither of them moved.

Riley's hands gripped his shoulders. His arms held her waist.

Déjà vu.

She blinked up at him. "I, uh… I think I almost died again."

Ethan sighed. "Yeah. I noticed."

And then—

She smiled.

Not forced. Not awkward.

Just a real, genuine, Riley Carter smile.

And it hit him right in the chest.

Ethan let go immediately.

Riley laughed. "You really hate me, huh?"

"I don't hate you," Ethan muttered.

Riley tilted her head. Studied him.

For half a second, she looked like she was going to ask him something important.

Something real.

But then—

The gym doors slammed open.

Jason.

Standing in the doorway.

Looking at them.

Expression completely unreadable.

Well.

Shit.