C25 Between Duty and Desire

He checked me out, his eyes looking like something I couldn’t pretty perceive. “I’m exceptional,” he responded, but the face in his voice informed me otherwise.

“You don’t appear nice,” I pressed gently. “You’ve been remote. Is something wrong?”

Ethan shook his head, turning far from me again. “I’m just tired,” he muttered, his tone dismissive.

I frowned, uncertain of the way to attain him