Chapter 5: Persistent

The following days seemed to fall into an unshakable pattern, one that involved Ethan persistently inserting himself into my daily routine, no matter how much I tried to brush him off. It started subtly, a greeting here, a casual nod there.

Then came the small gestures. If I forgot to bring a pen, he always seemed to have an extra tucked away. If I missed a line in my notes, he would neatly copy them down and hand them to me without a word. And if we ended up in the same group discussion, he'd nonchalantly take the seat beside mine as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

At first, I convinced myself that it was all coincidental, that maybe he was just being polite or treating everyone the same way. But slowly, I began to notice a deliberate pattern. It wasn't just kindness, it was intentional.

I settled into a quiet corner of the café with nothing on my table but my books. The steady murmur of background conversation and the occasional clink of cutlery blended into a soothing backdrop as I tried to focus on my textbook.

Each line pulled me deeper into a world of ideas, but my concentration was repeatedly broken by the urge to glance at the door, half-expecting to see him appear. I was so absorbed in my reading that I almost missed the sound of a familiar voice.

"Good morning, Ava."

I looked up from my notebook, where I'd been doodling random shapes to fill the silence, and saw Ethan standing beside my seat. He held a cup of coffee, his expression as calm as ever, but with a hint of expectancy in his gaze that made it clear he wasn't there by accident.

I blinked and then glanced away quickly. "Morning," I mumbled.

"You looked like you could use some caffeine," he said, extending the cup toward me with a gentle smile.

I hesitated, torn between gratitude and the need to maintain my distance. "I'm good," I replied curtly.

"Are you sure?" He tilted his head slightly, his tone teasing. "You yawned at least three times in the past five minutes."

I frowned, feeling a flush creep up my neck. "Are you counting how many times I yawn?"

He chuckled softly. "Not on purpose. I just happened to notice."

I sighed and returned to my doodles, determined to ignore him. "Thanks, but no thanks," I added, my voice dismissive.

"Alright," he said easily, not missing a beat as he took the seat beside me anyway. He set the coffee down in front of me and stretched his arms casually. "It's here if you change your mind."

I exhaled through my nose, trying to focus back on my textbook, though my mind kept drifting to his calm persistence.

Later, as I walked toward the cafeteria after class, Gift and Favour were already at it, teasing me about my "new fan club."

"Do you have a fan club now?" Gift smirked as we strolled together. "Because I swear that boy is dedicated."

"He's just friendly," I muttered, pushing open the door to the bustling cafeteria.

"Friendly?" Favour raised a brow. "Ava, guys don't just go out of their way like that for someone they barely know. He's obviously interested."

"Yeah, in annoying me," I grumbled, though part of me couldn't help but notice the way her eyes sparkled with amusement.

Gift snorted. "Oh, come on. He's not annoying. He's actually kind of..."

"Don't say it," I warned, a small smile tugging at my lips despite my protest.

"...charming," she finished with a mischievous grin.

I groaned and headed straight to the food counter, determined to drown out any further discussion of Ethan.

But the truth was, I didn't entirely dislike him. He wasn't pushy, and he never demanded my attention. He was simply there, consistently present, and no matter how much I tried to push him away, he remained unruffled. He took every little interaction in stride, responding with his trademark calm that was both frustrating and oddly comforting.

I couldn't help but wonder why he continued to try, even after I'd made it clear I wasn't interested in building a friendship. Most people would have given up by now. I had made it obvious that I preferred solitude, yet here he was, testing the boundaries maybe for fun, maybe out of genuine interest. The confusion gnawed at me as much as the annoyance did.

One afternoon, as I was gathering my things after class, Ethan approached my desk again. His timing was impeccable.

"You forgot this," he said softly.

I looked up, surprised to see him holding out one of my notebooks.

"Oh," I muttered, taking it reluctantly. "Thanks."

He studied me for a moment, his eyes searching, then asked, "Are you always this guarded?"

I stiffened at his blunt question. "What do you mean?"

"You push people away before they can even try to get close," he said quietly, almost as if stating an observation.

My fingers tightened around the notebook, and I bit back a retort. "I just don't like wasting time on things that don't matter."

His lips twitched in a hint of a smile, as if amused. "And you've already decided that I don't matter?"

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. What was I supposed to say to that?

Instead of pressing further, Ethan simply nodded, as if confirming something he had already suspected. "Alright, Ava. I'll see you tomorrow," he said and walked off, leaving me staring after him, caught between relief and an unfamiliar unease.

I exhaled slowly, pondering whether I wanted him to stop trying or if part of me secretly wanted him to continue. For the first time, I wasn't sure if I wanted this persistent presence to fade away completely.