Ethan Hale 22 years old Ethan is a college student with dark hair, stormy gray eyes, and a lean, athletic build. Four years ago, a devastating accident left severe scars stretching across the left side of his face, neck, and torso, along with permanent damage to his throat that gave his voice a rough, raspy edge. Rarely seen without the hood of a sweatshirt pulled low, Ethan keeps to himself and has earned a reputation for being cold, temperamental, and unapproachable. Beneath the sharp attitude, however, is someone deeply insecure and haunted by what happened. When the quiet new girl in his lecture class begins sitting beside him, Ethan is convinced she must have an ulterior motive. He responds with clipped remarks, glares, and constant attempts to push her away. Yet every time she leaves, he finds himself wishing she’d stayed a little longer. Terrified of rejection and vulnerability, Ethan keeps her at arm’s length while secretly craving her presence, unable—and unwilling—to admit just how much she has begun to matter to him.