Sophie shook her head, muttering something under her breath about stubborn best friends, and the two of them headed into the building together.

The morning passed in a blur of lectures and notes, but Claire’s mind kept drifting back to her encounter with Ethan. She could still hear his calm voice, see the concern in his eyes, and feel the strength in his arms when he caught her.

"Earth to Claire!" Sophie’s voice jolted her back to reality.

Claire blinked, realizing she had been staring blankly at her notebook. Sophie, sitting beside her in their literature class, was giving her a knowing look.

"You’ve been spacing out all morning," Sophie whispered, leaning closer. "Is this about the mysterious guy who helped you?"

Claire flushed. "No, I’m just tired."

Sophie smirked. "Sure, tired. Spill it, Claire. Who is he? What’s his name? And, more importantly, is he single?"

Claire rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips. "His name is Ethan. That’s all I know."

Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Just Ethan? No last name, no Instagram handle? You’re killing me here."

Claire laughed softly, shaking her head. "It’s not like that. He was just being kind."

"Kind and handsome, I bet," Sophie teased, earning a playful shove from Claire.

The professor’s voice interrupted their conversation, and they both quickly focused back on the lecture. But even as Claire tried to concentrate, her thoughts kept wandering to Ethan.

After class, Claire and Sophie walked out of the building together.

"Are you sure you’re okay to walk home?" Sophie asked, her tone laced with concern.

Claire nodded. "I’m fine, Sophie. I promise. I’ll text you when I get home."

"Good," Sophie said, narrowing her eyes. "And don’t forget—you owe me details about this Ethan guy."

Claire waved her off with a laugh and started walking toward her house. The cool breeze felt refreshing against her skin, and for the first time that day, she allowed herself to relax.

When she reached home, her mom greeted her at the door.

"Hi, sweetheart," her mom said, pulling her into a warm hug. "How was your day?"

"It was fine," Claire replied, stepping inside and setting her bag down.

Her dad appeared from the kitchen, a dishtowel slung over his shoulder. "You’re home late. Did something happen?"

Claire hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell them the truth. "I fainted on my way to college this morning."

Her mom’s face paled. "Claire! Are you okay? Why didn’t you call us?"

"I’m fine now," Claire assured her. "Someone helped me."

Her dad frowned. "You need to be more careful, sweetheart. You know your condition—"

"I know, Dad," Claire interrupted gently. "I wasn’t trying to push myself. It just... happened."

Her mom sighed, pulling her into another hug. "We just worry about you, that’s all."

"I know," Claire said softly.

Later that night, Claire was curled up in bed when her phone buzzed. Sophie’s name flashed on the screen, and Claire sighed, already bracing herself for the onslaught.

She picked up the call. "Hey, Soph—"

"Don’t you hey, Soph me, Claire Bennett!" Sophie’s voice was sharp, filled with mock annoyance and genuine concern. "Why didn’t you call me when you got home, huh? And what’s with this new habit of ignoring my calls? I had to call your mom to check if you were even alive! Do you know how embarrassing that was?"

Claire winced. "I’m sorry, Sophie. I didn’t mean to—"

"And don’t even think about giving me excuses!" Sophie cut her off. "You faint, don’t tell me, and then you go radio silent? Do you want me to die of stress before we even graduate?"

"Okay, okay!" Claire said quickly, trying to calm her down. "I’m sorry, really. I’ll call you next time, I promise."

"You better," Sophie huffed, though her tone softened. "Now, spill. I’ve been dying to hear the full story about this Ethan guy. You dropped his name at college but didn’t tell me anything else. Who is he? What happened?"

Claire sighed, knowing there was no escaping this. "Fine. I’ll tell you. Just calm down, okay?"

"Calm," Sophie said firmly. "Now talk."

Claire rolled her eyes but began recounting the story. "I was walking to college because I didn’t want to bother you, and I started feeling dizzy. I thought I could shake it off, but… I guess I couldn’t. I must’ve blacked out because the next thing I knew, I was being held by someone."

"And that someone was Ethan," Sophie interjected, her tone eager.

"Yes," Claire admitted, her cheeks warming. "He was really kind. He made sure I was okay and even offered to walk me to college."

"Wait, wait," Sophie interrupted. "You said he’s a doctor, right? What kind of doctor just happens to be strolling around to catch fainting damsels in distress? Are we sure this guy’s real?"

Claire laughed. "Yes, he’s real. He mentioned he was on his way to the hospital when his phone rang. That’s why he had to leave."

"Okay, okay. But more importantly, what does he look like? Details, Claire! I need details."

"Sophie, it’s not—"

"Don’t you dare brush this off!" Sophie cut in. "You’ve already told me his name. Now spill. Is he tall? Short? Does he have a beard? Glasses? What’s the vibe?"

Claire hesitated, her mind drifting back to the piercing blue eyes that had locked with hers. "He’s… tall," she said reluctantly. "Dark hair, sharp features, and… his eyes. They’re this really striking shade of blue."

Sophie let out a dramatic gasp. "Claire Bennett, you’ve been rescued by a walking romance novel hero. I need to meet this man immediately."

Claire groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "It’s not like that, Sophie. He was just being polite. That’s all."

"Polite?" Sophie scoffed. "Claire, you just described the literal definition of dreamy. And he’s a doctor? Are you kidding me?"

"Forget it," Claire said quickly, trying to change the subject. "It’s not a big deal."

"Forget it?" Sophie repeated incredulously. "Claire, I’m not letting this go. Mark my words, this Ethan guy is going to be important."

"Goodnight, Sophie," Claire said, cutting her off before she could spiral further.

"Goodnight, my hopelessly oblivious best friend," Sophie teased. "And remember—next time, call me first!"

"I promise," Claire said with a small smile, hanging up.

As she set her phone down, her thoughts lingered on Ethan. Sophie’s words echoed in her mind, and for a brief moment, she wondered if there was more to the encounter than she’d let herself believe.