Khian's POV
I sat at my desk, papers scattered everywhere, but my eyes were glued to one file in particular. Ethan’s case. There was something off, something I couldn’t shake. My fingers tapped against the desk as I scrolled through the documents on my laptop, trying to piece it all together. The deeper I dug, the more things didn’t add up. There were records missing, gaps in the timeline, and suddenly everything felt too... connected. 
I leaned back, running a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of it all. This wasn’t just about Ethan anymore. It involved something bigger, something I wasn’t ready to face yet.
My phone buzzed beside me, and I grabbed it, dialing Ethan’s number. I let it ring once, twice... no answer. I frowned, tried again. Still nothing. After the third attempt, frustration bubbled up in my chest, but I forced myself to set the phone down. Maybe he was busy. Or maybe he was avoiding me after our last talk. Either way, I didn’t have time to dwell on it.
As I leaned back in my chair, trying to shake off the tension, there was a soft knock on the door. I jumped slightly, caught off guard, and quickly shut the frame that sat on the corner of my desk—the picture of me and Lily from when we were kids. My heart pounded, and I cleared my throat, trying to act normal.
The door creaked open, and Lily stepped in, her arms crossed and a smirk on her face. "You don’t have to hide it, you know," she said, her eyes flicking to the picture I had just shoved aside. "I’ve known about that now."
I felt my face heat up. "I... I wasn’t hiding anything," I stammered, but even I didn’t believe that. I scratched the back of my head awkwardly as she walked over to my desk.
Lily raised an eyebrow, leaning against the desk beside me. "Oh really?" she teased, her tone light, but there was something in her eyes that made my stomach twist.
"I just..." I started, but my phone rang, cutting off my lame excuse. I grabbed it, relieved for the distraction. I expected to see Ethan’s name on the screen, but instead, it was Mom. My heart skipped a beat.
I shot Lily a quick, apologetic smile, and answered the call. "Hey, Mom. What’s up?"
Her voice was cheerful on the other end. "Khian, honey! I need you home tonight. I made so much food, Sophie and Ella are already here."
My eyes widened. Ella’s already home? I thought she’d still be at school or with her friends. But before I could respond, Mom continued.
"Oh, and bring Ella’s best friend too. You know, that lovely girl, Lily. She’s always welcome."
I froze, my eyes flicking to Lily, who was standing right next to me, completely unaware of what Mom was saying. I nodded slowly, even though she couldn’t see me. "Uh, yeah, sure. I’ll tell her."
"Great! See you soon, sweetheart!" And with that, she hung up.
I lowered the phone, staring at it for a moment before glancing at Lily. She was still watching me, waiting for me to explain.
"Everything okay?" she asked, leaning in just a little.
"Yeah," I said, clearing my throat again. "My mom wants us to come over for dinner. Ella’s already home, and, well... she invited you too."
Lily blinked, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "Me? Really?"
"Yeah, really," I said, trying not to smile too much. "She likes you, apparently."
Lily rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "Your mom has good taste," she joked, but I could see she was genuinely touched.
For a moment, the tension from earlier slipped away, replaced by a quiet warmth between us. It was comfortable, almost... nice. But before I could enjoy it too much, I remembered the mess with Ethan, the files, and the unanswered calls. The weight of it all came crashing back, and I knew this moment wouldn’t last.
Still, I couldn’t help but steal one more glance at Lily, feeling that strange pull in my chest that I could never quite explain.
"Come on," I said, standing up and grabbing my jacket. "We should head out before my mom sends a search party."
Lily laughed softly and followed me to the door, but before we left, I took one last look at the picture frame on my desk, the old photo of us as kids. I quickly slid it into my drawer, hiding it away again.
As we stepped out into the hallway, my phone buzzed again. I glanced at it, half-expecting it to be Ethan, but it wasn’t. Still no word from him.
Something wasn’t right. But for now, all I could do was wait.
The car ride was... quiet. Too quiet. I took a shortcut as I noticed earlier that my car gass was not enough. I kept my hands on the wheel, my eyes on the road, but I couldn’t stop replaying everything in my head. The way Lily had caught me with that picture in my office, how she’d pointed it out so casually, like it was nothing. But to me, it wasn’t nothing. 
I stole a quick glance at her sitting next to me. She looked calm, her hands folded in her lap, but there was this hint of a smile on her face. The kind that made me want to disappear into my seat.
The silence between us was thick, and I knew I had to say something, anything, but my throat was dry, and words seemed harder to find than usual.
Lily broke the awkwardness first. “So... I ran into Ethan earlier,” she said, her voice light, but there was something behind it. “Sophie and I actually gave him a hard time—poor guy.”
I raised an eyebrow, glancing over at her. “Oh yeah?”
She nodded, a soft smile spreading across her face as she explained. “He was so desperate to talk to Ella. He kept trying to find her, but we kept pulling her away. You know, protecting her from getting hurt again.”
I smirked at that. Of course, the girls would team up against Ethan. They were always a tight unit when it came to protecting each other.
Lily continued, “But then he got really serious. He told us that you gave him permission to talk to Ella, and we eventually let him go.”
I felt a tug in my chest as she said that. I hadn’t expected Lily to bring up Ethan so casually, but there was a warmth in her tone, a fondness for him that reminded me of when we were kids. We all used to be so close back then, back when everything was simpler.
“Still soft on him, huh?” Lily teased, giving me a sideways glance. “Even after all these years.”
I chuckled quietly, my grip tightening on the steering wheel. “I guess some things don’t change. He’s still that annoying kid who needs someone to look out for him.”
Lily nodded, but her smile slowly faded. “He told us he was going to talk to Ella. He seemed really determined this time.”
I nodded too, trying to push aside the nagging feeling in the back of my mind. Ethan wanting to talk to Ella made sense, he needed to clear the air, to explain himself. But something didn’t add up. I glanced at my phone again, remembering how I couldn’t reach him earlier.
Then, it hit me.
“Wait,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. “You said Ethan was going to talk to Ella... at school?”
Lily turned her head toward me, frowning. “Yeah, that’s what he said.”
I shook my head, confused. “But Ella’s at home. She’s been home a couple of hours ago. My mom just called me.”
The car went quiet again, but this time, it wasn’t awkward, it was tense.
Lily looked just as confused as I felt. “Wait... so Ethan was going to talk to Ella... at school? But she’s not even there?”
I nodded slowly, the pieces of the puzzle not fitting together at all. “Exactly.”
We both sat in silence for a moment, the road stretching out ahead of us. Something was off. Ethan wasn’t the type to lie about something like that, not when he was this desperate to talk to Ella. But if he wasn’t going to meet her at home, where was he going?
Lily shook her head, still trying to make sense of it. “Maybe he didn’t know she left early?”
“Maybe,” I said, but I wasn’t convinced. Something didn’t sit right with me. If Ethan was really that eager to clear things up with Ella, why didn’t he check where she was first?
We pulled up to the house a few minutes later, the sun setting behind the trees. I glanced around the driveway, my eyes scanning for Ethan’s car, but it wasn’t there.
Lily noticed it too. “Where’s his car?” she asked, her voice tight with confusion.
“I don’t know,” I muttered, pulling into the driveway. “He’s not here.”
We stepped out of the car, the evening air cool against my skin. Lily stood beside me, her arms crossed, staring at the empty space where Ethan’s car should’ve been.
“This doesn’t make sense,” she said, echoing my thoughts.
I didn’t have any answers for her. The whole thing felt wrong, like we were missing something important. But I couldn’t figure out what.
“Maybe he got held up?” I offered, though I didn’t believe it. My mind kept circling back to the calls I’d made earlier. Why wasn’t he answering? Why hadn’t he shown up yet?
Lily shrugged, clearly just as confused as I was. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
We headed inside, but the confusion hung over us like a dark cloud. As I walked through the front door, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had gone terribly wrong.
As soon as we stepped into the house, the warmth hit me. The sound of laughter filled the air, echoing from the dining room. Lily and I exchanged a glance before we moved toward the source of the noise.
There they were, my parents, Ella, and Sophie sitting around the table, looking like they hadn’t a care in the world. Sophie was doing her usual routine, cracking jokes and making everyone comfortable, her laughter contagious. Ella, looking more relaxed than she had in days, was chuckling softly at something Sophie had just said.
The scene was a complete contrast to the confusion still swirling around in my head about Ethan.
Mom spotted us first, waving us over. “Oh, there you are! Come on, grab a seat and eat up before everything gets cold!”
Sophie and Ella turned their heads as we walked in. “Look who’s finally here!” Sophie grinned, but then her eyes locked on Lily, and her expression shifted into one of mischief.
Sophie cleared her throat dramatically, her gaze flicking between Lily and me. “Oh, so... you two are ‘together’ again, huh? Out late, too? What’s the update between you two? Come on, tell us all the juicy details!”
Lily lowered her head, her cheeks flushed, but I could see the fire in her eyes as she glared at Sophie, clearly annoyed at the teasing.
Mom chuckled from her seat. “I invited Lily for dinner, Sophie. No need to get all delusional.”
Even Dad joined in with a grin. “You’ve been after those two since high school, Soph.”
I couldn’t help but smirk, but I backed up Lily. “Yeah, like we’ve said a hundred times, we’re both on the school board committee. That’s all there is to it.” My voice was calm, but inside, I couldn’t stop thinking about the earlier conversation. Something didn’t feel right about Ethan.
Ella chuckled, shaking her head at their silliness. “You two are like an old married couple already,” she teased, her eyes bright with amusement.
I rolled my eyes, but the warmth in the room was undeniable. It was a nice break from the craziness that had been going on lately.
“Come sit,” Mom said, patting the seat next to her. “Let’s eat.”
Lily and I took our places at the table, and the mood settled back into that comfortable, familiar atmosphere. The conversation flowed easily, talks about school, the festival coming up, and the usual gossip Sophie loved to share. For a moment, it felt like things were back to normal, like we could forget about everything else for a little while.
But just as I was starting to relax, my phone rang.
I quickly pulled it out, glancing at the screen. ‘Ethan.’
The confusion hit me hard. Why was he calling now? And why hadn’t he answered any of my calls earlier? I answered the call.
“Khian...” Auntie’s voice trembled through the phone.
My heart skipped a beat. Everyone at the table went quiet, probably sensing something was off.
“Auntie?” I said, frowning. “What’s going on?”
She didn’t answer right away, and the silence was heavy. Too heavy. I could feel my heartbeat thudding against my chest, and then... she spoke again, her voice barely holding together.
“It’s Ethan,” she whispered, every word sounding like it was breaking her. “He’s... he’s in the emergency room.”
The moment those words left her mouth, I shot up from the table. My chair scraped against the floor, the loud noise nothing compared to the explosion of panic that hit me. 
“What?” I almost yelled, not even noticing how everyone else reacted.
But I didn’t need to tell them. Auntie’s voice was still loud and clear from the speaker, and I saw Ella freeze, her eyes widening in terror. Her hands clutched the edge of the table so tightly her knuckles turned white.
“There was... an accident,” Auntie continued, her voice choking up. “A school bus... on the road earlier.”
“Ethan...” I whispered, my mind spinning. My heart felt like it was being squeezed. I looked around the room and saw the horror on everyone’s faces.
Ella was staring at me, trembling, her lips quivering as if she was about to say something, but no words came. Sophie had a hand over her mouth, and Lily’s eyes were wide with shock, staring at me like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
Before everyone could react more, I quickly left the room to finished the call with Auntie .
“He’s hurt,” Auntie sobbed through the speaker. “I don’t know how bad, but they... they said it’s serious.”
I could barely breathe. The words didn’t feel real. None of it felt real. The room was spinning, and all I could hear was Auntie’s broken voice and the gasps of everyone around me.
Ella looked like she was about to collapse, her face pale and drained of any color. “No... no,” she whispered softly, shaking her head in denial, tears already filling her eyes.
“I need to go,” I said, though my voice felt like it belonged to someone else. My legs were moving before I even knew what I was doing. I had to get to the hospital. I had to see him.
“Khian, wait!” Sophie called after me, but I couldn’t stop. Not now.
Lily stood up too, looking helpless. “We’ll come with you,” she said, her voice shaking.
But Ella... Ella couldn’t move. She sat frozen, staring at me with wide, tearful eyes, completely shattered by what she’d just heard.
I turned to her, feeling like I’d just been punched in the gut. “I’ll... I’ll let you know as soon as I get there,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, but it was impossible. “Stay here. Please.”
She didn’t answer. She just stared at me, her tears spilling over, as if everything was crumbling around her.
I was just about to rush out the door when Ella suddenly stood up, clutching her chest. Her face was pale, and she looked like she was in pain. Panic spread through me as I watched her stumble slightly, gasping for air.
“Ella!” I shouted, rushing back to her side. “What’s happening? What’s wrong?”
She could barely breathe, her breaths coming in short, painful gasps. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she could only manage to utter Ethan’s name, her voice weak and trembling. “Ethan...”
My heart sank. I knew how serious this was. Ella’s heart condition was something we all feared, but seeing her in this state was something else entirely. The pain she felt could be fatal if not managed correctly.
“Lily, go get Mom and Dad!” I ordered, trying to keep my own voice steady. I needed to focus, to think clearly.
Lily hurried off, her face a mask of concern. I turned back to Ella, trying to calm her down. “Ella, listen to me. We need to get you to the hospital, too. I’ll make sure we get to Ethan. But you need to stay calm, okay?”
She nodded weakly, tears streaming down her face. “I need to see him, Khian. Please...”
Seeing her like this, so fragile and desperate, broke my heart. I knew I couldn’t leave her behind. I took a deep breath, making the decision that I would bring her along with me. I glanced at my parents, who were watching us with worried eyes.
“I’m taking Ella with me,” I said firmly. “I can’t leave her here like this. She needs to come with us.”
My parents looked worried but nodded. “Be careful, Khian. We’ll catch up with you later,” my mom said. “We’re going to call a private doctor to come and check on Ethan. Just focus on getting them there.”
“Thank you,” I said quickly, feeling the urgency of the situation. I helped Ella to her feet, her arm around my shoulder for support.
As we were about to leave, Sophie, who had been observing everything, came up to us, looking determined. “I’m coming too,” she said firmly. “I can’t just sit here and do nothing.”
“Are you sure, Sophie?” I asked, surprised but relieved. 
“Yeah, I want to be there for Ella,” she said, her eyes showing concern.
With that, Lily, Sophie, and I quickly got into the car. I could see the strain on Ella’s face, the effort she was putting into controlling her pain. As we drove to the hospital, the urgency of the situation weighed heavily on all of us. I just hoped we’d make it in time and that Ethan would be okay. And more than anything, I hoped Ella would hold on.
Why didn't I see this coming? It all just make any sense now, the confusion, Ethan weird missing. This is all my fault for not taking any action!