The bang was followed by a series of hurried footsteps, breaking the intimate spell that had captured Ryan and Ethan. They sprang apart, hearts pounding for entirely different reasons now. Ryan looked towards the source of the commotion to see Ethan's teammate, Liam, standing in the doorway, his eyes wide with shock.

"Dude, I—I didn’t know you had company," Liam stammered, his gaze bouncing between Ethan and Ryan.

Ryan felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment, while Ethan groaned, dragging a hand down his face. The casual, fun-loving demeanor Ethan usually wore like a second skin was replaced by irritation and something akin to discomfort.

"It's okay, Liam," Ethan finally said, his voice tinged with annoyance. "What do you need?"

"Coach wants to see you. Said it’s urgent," Liam replied, looking as if he wished he could evaporate on the spot.

Ethan sighed, stealing a glance at Ryan, who had quickly composed herself, trying to mask her flustered state. "Alright, tell him I’ll be there in a few. And next time, maybe knock?”

Liam nodded furiously and retreated, the door clicking shut behind him. Ethan exhaled heavily, turning back to Ryan who was already standing up, tidying herself up a bit, her composure masked poorly by her shaking hands.

"I, uh—" Ryan started, but words failed her. She was still processing how quickly their moment had been shattered.

"Don't worry about it," Ethan said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. He took a step closer, his eyes softening. "Look, that was... unexpected, but not unwelcome."

"Yeah, unexpected," Ryan echoed, feeling the aftershock of their fervent kiss and the disruption that followed. She couldn't quite decipher the swirling emotions, both hers and Ethan’s, but they left her dazed.

Ethan opened his mouth to say something more, but he was cut off by the ringtone of his phone. He glanced at it and cursed under his breath. "It's the coach. I gotta go."

"Yeah, you should," Ryan replied, forcing a small smile. "I'll be here when you get back. We can... talk later."

Ethan’s eyes lingered on her face for a moment before he nodded and headed out. Ryan took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her messy hair, trying to regain her balance. She acknowledged the feeling that this interruption was perhaps a much-needed moment of clarity—one which she’d dwell upon while Ethan handled whatever crisis was unfolding.

---

Ethan navigated through the bustling campus, his mind swirling with thoughts of Ryan. The urgency of the coach's summons unwelcome, but perhaps it provided a small reprieve to sort through what had just happened with Ryan.

When he reached the coach’s office, he found it filled with the tense faces of his teammates. His coach, a burly man with graying hair and a perpetual frown, looked up as Ethan entered.

"Russell, glad you could join us," Coach Davis said, crossing his arms over his chest. "We've got a situation. There might be a strike if the budget cuts go through."

The room buzzed with anxiety, but Ethan's distracted mind couldn’t fully focus on the problem at hand. Part of him was still back at the apartment, where Ryan remained—a distraction he hadn’t anticipated but couldn’t ignore.

"Budget cuts?" Ethan asked, trying to pull himself back into the moment.

"Yes," Coach Davis confirmed. "This could affect scholarships, equipment, even travel allowances. Everyone needs to be prepared to step up and make sacrifices if necessary."

Ethan sighed inwardly, realizing the seriousness of the situation. Yet, as the meeting progressed, his thoughts kept drifting, unable to shake the image of Ryan, her lips still tingling from their shared kiss.

---

Meanwhile, Ryan sat on the couch, feeling the weight of solitude settle around her. The interruption earlier had left her with unfinished emotions and a craving for clarity. She decided to distract herself by organizing some notes, but every time her eyes fell on her textbook, she saw Ethan’s face instead.

As she flipped through her study materials, the door opened once more. Expecting Ethan, she was surprised to see a petite brunette step inside, her face lighting up with recognition.

“Ryan?” the girl exclaimed, “I didn’t know you were staying here!”

Ryan blinked in surprise. “Emma?”

Emma Fields had been Ryan’s lab partner in freshman year. They had bonded over shared academic struggles and caffeine-fueled study sessions, but life had drifted them apart over the past year.

“What brings you here?” Ryan asked, genuinely curious.

“I’m Liam’s girlfriend. I heard about the mess with the dorms and I had to see for myself. Now I see why he was flustered,” Emma replied with a knowing smirk. “Seems like there’s more than just homework going on here.”

Ryan felt a blush creeping up her neck. “It’s not what you think,” she began, then decided to drop it. “Okay, maybe it is. But it’s complicated.”

“Isn’t it always?” Emma replied, settling down on the couch beside Ryan. “Ethan's a great guy, despite his reputation. But tread carefully.”

Ryan sighed. “I didn’t plan for any of this. It just... happened.”

“Well, if anyone can handle it, it’s you,” Emma encouraged, giving Ryan a reassuring smile. “But hey, let’s catch up. It’s been too long.”

As they chatted, Ryan felt lighter, the anxiety from earlier dissipating. Sharing her thoughts about Ethan and their unexpected kiss helped her process it more clearly. Emma’s perspective provided some much-needed advice without judgment, which Ryan deeply appreciated.

---

Several hours later, Ethan returned, his facial expressions a mixture of frustration and relief. Seeing Emma and Ryan laughing together surprised him but also softened the hard lines on his face.

“Hey,” he greeted, dropping his bag by the door.

“Hey yourself,” Emma replied, standing up. “I’ll leave you two to talk. But we’re having lunch tomorrow, Ryan. No excuses.”

Ryan smiled, nodding in agreement. As Emma left, the room fell into a slightly awkward silence. Ethan rubbed his temples, clearly exhausted.

“Strike?” Ryan asked, breaking the silence.

“You heard right,” he responded. “Could mess up everything.”

Ryan nodded understandingly, her eyes never leaving his. “Listen, about earlier—”

“I know,” Ethan interrupted, his tone gentle. “We need to talk.”

They both moved to the couch, their bodies close but maintaining a careful distance. Ethan took a deep breath, his green eyes locking onto Ryan’s.

“I don’t want to mess up our dynamic,” he started, “But what happened between us was real. And it’s not something I can easily ignore.”

Ryan sighed softly, her heart both heavy and light. “Neither can I. But with everything going on, maybe we should slow down. Figure things out first.”

Ethan nodded, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Fair. But I need you to know— I’m not just looking for a fling. This,” he gestured between them, “this matters.”

The sincerity in his words caught Ryan off guard, making her heart flutter with an unfamiliar excitement.

“Okay,” she whispered, “let’s see where this goes, step by step.”

Ethan smiled, the relief evident in his eyes. “Step by step.”

---

The following morning, Ryan woke up feeling a strange mix of anticipation and calm. The unresolved tension with Ethan was now an exciting journey rather than a chaotic storm. She dressed casually and made her way to the campus for a study session before her lunch with Emma.

As she stepped out of her building, she bumped into an unfamiliar figure—a tall, sharply dressed man in his late twenties. His piercing blue eyes and sharp jawline gave him an air of authority.

“Sorry,” Ryan mumbled, moving to step around him.

“No problem,” he replied, his gaze lingering on her a moment longer than necessary. “You must be Ryan Winters. I’m Derek. Derek Blackwell.”

Ryan’s brows furrowed in confusion. “How do you know my name?”

Derek gave a cryptic smile. “Let’s say I’ve been hearing a lot about you. Mind if we grab a coffee? There's something important we need to discuss.”

Ryan glanced at her watch, knowing she had time before meeting Emma yet feeling wary of this mysterious man. Intrigued but cautious, she nodded slowly. “Alright, but make it quick.”

As they walked towards the nearby café, Derek’s presence felt both comforting and concerning. He seemed to know more than he let on, and that sent a shiver down Ryan’s spine. Whatever this was, it felt like the beginning of a new complication, one she wasn’t sure she was ready for.