Ethan POV

The hallway felt strangely quiet.

Too quiet.

The kind of quiet that made every second feel longer than it really was.

I stood outside the restroom door with my hands shoved into my pockets, staring at the polished wood as if I could somehow see through it.

Emma had been inside for several minutes now.

Long enough for worry to settle deep inside my chest.

Long enough for my imagination to start working against me.

I rubbed the back of my neck and released a slow breath.

A few minutes ...