Later in the evening , I went out just to clear my head.
Nothing serious.
Just walking.
Campus had started to feel slightly more familiar again, but my thoughts still got too loud when I stayed in one place for too long.
So I moved.
Past the library. Past the student center. Toward the part of campus where people usually gathered in the evenings.
The air was cooler than I expected.
Students were everywhere—sitting on steps, walking in groups, laughing loudly like the day had been easy.
I kept my hands in my hoodie pocket and walked slowly, not really looking for anyone.
Just… moving.
That's when I saw them.
Chloe.
And Ethan.
I stopped without meaning to.
They were standing near one of the open seating areas outside a café on campus. Chloe was laughing at something Ethan said, leaning slightly forward like she found him genuinely funny. Ethan looked relaxed too—hands in his pockets, head tilted as he responded to her.
They were talking easily.
Comfortably.
Like they already knew each other well.
My chest tightened before I could stop it.
It wasn't logical.
I knew that immediately.
Chloe talked to everyone. That was just her personality. And Ethan—he was always like that around people.
But still…
Something in me sank quietly.
I stood there for a second longer than I should have, watching them.
Chloe said something again and Ethan laughed, shaking his head slightly.
I felt that familiar sting again.
Except this time, it wasn't just small.
It lingered.
I looked away quickly before either of them could notice me.
Then I turned around.
And walked back the way I came.
Faster than before.
My steps felt heavier the further I went, like the air itself was pushing me back toward the dorm.
I didn't know why it bothered me so much.
It shouldn't have.
Chloe was my roommate.
Ethan was… nothing.
Just someone I shared a room with for a week.
That's it.
So why did it feel like I had walked into something I wasn't supposed to see?
By the time I reached the dorm building, my chest felt tight.
I didn't stop.
I went straight upstairs.
Straight into the room.
The door closed behind me with a soft click, and the silence inside hit immediately.
I sat on my bed without changing or taking off my hoodie.
Just sat.
Staring at nothing.
My phone buzzed once in my pocket.
I didn't check it.
Because I already knew what it would be.
Something from Ryan I didn't care about.
Or something I didn't want to think about.
I leaned back slowly and closed my eyes.
It didn't make sense.
None of it did.
And the worst part was… I couldn't even explain what I was feeling.
It wasn't jealousy.
It wasn't anger.
It wasn't even sadness exactly.
It was just a quiet ache I didn't know what to do with.
And for the first time, I didn't have a distraction that worked.