A week passes

A week passes, and I make a point of keeping my distance from Maya. I change where I sit in class, leave buildings through different exits, and make excuses to study somewhere else. Whenever I spot her across campus, I find a reason to look the other way. It isn’t easy, but eventually things start feeling normal again. My classes are going well, my calls with my girlfriend are back to their usual routine, and for the first time since that afternoon, I feel like I might actually be putting everything behind me.

Then, one afternoon, I walk into the library.

I find a quiet table near the back and pull out my laptop, relieved to have some peace and quiet. I’m halfway through an assignment when I hear someone say my name.

“Ethan?”

I look up.

Maya is standing a few feet away, holding a stack of books. She gives me a small smile, and for a second neither of us says anything.

“Hey,” she says. “I’ve been trying to catch you.”

My stomach tightens. After a week of avoiding her, the one place I thought I could disappear has suddenly become the place where she found me.