I was rushing to make it to my morning literature class when I spotted Ethan waving at me from across the quad. Standing with him were the usual suspects—Julian, Preston, Caspian, and of course, Rhys. My steps faltered. I'd managed to avoid direct interaction with Rhys since our cafeteria encounter last week, despite now officially living under the same roof as his best friend.
"Elara!" Ethan called out. "Come here for a second!"
I hesitated but trudged over, clutching my books tighter against my chest like a shield. "I'm going to be late," I warned as I approached the group.
"It'll just take a minute," Ethan promised. "I wanted to make sure you got the wedding invitation details. Mom said you haven't responded yet."
"I literally live in the same house as you now," I pointed out. "Couldn't this wait until dinner?"
"You're never around at dinner," Ethan countered. "Between your study sessions and hiding in your library—"
"I'm not hiding," I protested.
