Chapter 33: Chapter Thirty three

"Oh..." Ethan's jaw clenched, the tension visible as if he hadn't expected her to cut him off so abruptly. His eyes flickered with something unspoken, but he remained composed despite all the emotions he felt in that moment.

He wanted to do anything but that, but leaving her or detach from her.

Yet, he knew she was in a bad moment of her life and he had to respect her space.

"I just want to avoid getting attached to you after everything I've been through," Madisyn said, her voice steady but laced with vulnerability. "I know you wouldn't date, and it would just make things complicated. If it gets too deep between us, I'll get hurt. And I can't let that happen again."