Chapter 2

2 Two hours later, almost finished with my word list, my phone rang again. Ethan.

"Hungry?"

"Nope," I said flatly.

"Come downstairs, I brought you some clam chowder."

I peeked out the window. Sure enough, his black car was parked in front of the dorm. He was leaning against the door, looking effortlessly cool in his long coat, his skin pale against the dark fabric. He caught my eye, smirked, and lifted a steaming container of chowder. It was the same kind I'd gotten him when he had the flu.

As I walked downstairs, I overheard two girls talking. "Isn't that Ethan Miller from pre-med?"

"Who?"

"The hot one by the entrance. I saw a video of him on TikTok the other day."

I pushed open the dorm doors and reached for the chowder. He held onto the bag, stopping me. "Give me your phone." He held out his other hand.

"No." I let go of the bag and turned to go back inside. He caught my arm and, before I could react, pulled my phone from my pocket.

"What are you doing? You don’t know my passcode…" I tried to grab it back. Before I could finish the sentence, he unlocked it.

"Is there anything I don't know about you?" His smile widened. He held me steady while he quickly unblocked his number. It was pinned, so it was easy to find. And the passcode was his birthday, so it was easy to guess. He knew everything.

"Here," he said, placing the warm container in my arms. "I feel like I’m feeding a pig."

I looked up at him. "Ethan…"

"Ethan," a voice called out. I looked past him and saw Sarah in the passenger seat. She opened the door, her cheeks flushed. "Did I fall asleep? Why didn't you wake me?"

Ethan let go of my arm and smiled at her. "You were out cold, so I let you sleep."

"My club went to an escape room tonight, and Ethan was there too!" Sarah walked towards me, taking my hand. "He offered me a ride back." She gestured to the chowder. "And this clam chowder was so good, I ate it on the way back and passed out."

He took Sarah for chowder and brought me the leftovers?

"Sarah wasn't feeling well, so I took her to get something to eat." Ethan caught my gaze.

"Oh." I forced a smile. "Thanks. I’ll see you later."

"Wait, Amy!" Sarah grabbed my arm, stopping me. Then, to Ethan, "Can I get your Venmo? I'll pay you back for the chowder."

I followed her gaze to Ethan. The container was digging into my hand, leaving a red mark.

He just shrugged and smiled. "Sure." But right before he said it, he looked at me.

Sarah finally let go of my arm to add his Venmo. Suddenly, I felt a sense of relief. "Take your time," I said, and walked back inside without looking back.

Sarah pulled back my bed curtain. "Amy, you're not mad, are you?" she asked. "I mean, you're not Ethan's girlfriend or anything."

She was right. I had no right to be mad.

"Do you like Ethan?" I asked directly.

"Um," she hesitated, avoiding my eyes. "Not really. We just happened to be there tonight."

"Why aren’t you eating the chowder?" she asked, pointing to the container I'd left on my desk. Her tone was slightly accusatory. "We got it especially for you."

"Not hungry." I tried to close the curtain, but she held it open. "Amy, did you know Ethan has a group chat with his friends?"

I paused. I didn't.