Moonlight Temptation

Tension

The ride to Lily’s house was slow and steady. "Thank you for tonight, Ethan," Lily said, her voice soft with appreciation. "I had such a wonderful time, and thank you for the painting you sent to my house earlier. You already know that I love it.”

Ethan returned her smile, his eyes warm with affection. "The pleasure was all mine, Lacriz, and I'm glad we could spend this time together."

Ethan stepped out of the car and opened the door. He took her hand and led her out of the car. As they made their way to Lily's front door, she couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and connection with Ethan. Despite the mysteries that still surrounded him, she knew that he was someone special, a friend who had brought joy and excitement into her life in ways she had never imagined.

But as they reached her doorstep, their conversation was interrupted by an unexpected sight. Standing at the other side of the door was Alex, a bouquet of flowers in hand and a hopeful expression on his face.

Lily's heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, a rush of conflicting emotions swirling in her chest. What was Alex doing here, and what did his presence mean to her budding friendship with Ethan?

Caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, Lily found herself at a loss for words as she stood there, torn between the past and the present, unsure of what the future held in store. And as she looked from Ethan to Alex, she couldn't help but wonder which path her heart would choose.

“Hello Lively” said Alex, this was the name only he called her when they were kids “Alex, such a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect to see you here” she said calmly as she gave him a hug.

A little bit of tension was there, she could feel it. “Ethan, this is Alex. Alex is my childhood friend. His family had relocated to America, but now he’s back to England.” Ethan said nothing, and she continued “Alex, meet Ethan, Ethan is my friend.” She said,

Ethan's gaze flickered at Alex, his expression guarded as he extended a polite hand in greeting. "Nice to meet you, Alex," he said, his tone neutral yet tinged with an undercurrent of tension.

Alex nodded in acknowledgment, his jaw tight with barely concealed emotion as he shook Ethan's hand. "Likewise," he replied, his voice strained.

For a moment, the three of them stood in awkward silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging heavy between them. Lily felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach as she struggled to find the right words to ease the tension that threatened to engulf them.

"So, Alex, what brings you here?" Lily asked, her voice a desperate attempt to break the tension.

Alex cleared his throat, his gaze flickering between Lily and Ethan. "I... I wanted to see you," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I've missed you, Lively.”

Lily felt a pang of raw emotion in Alex's voice, they hadn’t really seen each other for two weeks now, his words echoing the longing she had tried to bury deep within her heart. But before she could respond, Ethan stepped forward, his eyes blazing with something in them. Was it… Jealousy?

"Well, it looks like you two have some catching up to do," he said, his tone clipped as he gestured towards the front door. "I'll leave you to it." He took Lily’s right hand and kissed it, then he looked into her eyes like he didn’t want to let her go “Have a great night, Lacriz, dream about me only.”

With that, Ethan turned on his heel and strode off into the night, leaving Lily and Alex standing on the doorstep in stunned silence. As the sound of his departing footsteps faded into the distance, Lily couldn't help but feel a sense of unease settle over her like a dark cloud, the tension between the two men. She knew a rift had just been formed between them, leaving her torn between conflicting emotions in the crossfire of a love triangle she never asked for.

Alex returned her smile, his eyes soft with emotion as he held out the bouquet of flowers. "I wanted to see you, Lily," he replied, his voice gentle yet filled with longing. "I hope these brighten your day."

Lily accepted the flowers with a grateful smile, her heart fluttering at the sight of the colorful blooms. "Thank you, Alex. They're beautiful."

As she turned towards Ethan's departing car, she saw the tension in his shoulders, his jaw clenched tight as he watched the exchange between her and Alex. She felt a pang of unease at the realization that the two men who meant so much to her definitely could not stand each other, their emotions hanging heavy in the air like a storm waiting to break.

Feeling the weight of the lingering tension in the air after Ethan's departure, Lily took a deep breath, steeling herself for the conversation that awaited her with Alex. With a hesitant smile, she gestured towards her front door.

"Would you like to come in, Alex?" Lily asked, her voice soft yet tinged with uncertainty. "We can catch up over a cup of tea or something."

Alex's eyes softened at her invitation, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I'd like that," he replied, his voice warm with gratitude.

As they stepped into the cozy warmth of Lily's home, she led Alex to the living room, where they settled onto the comfortable sofa. Lily busied herself with preparing a pot of tea, her mind racing with thoughts of the difficult conversation that lay ahead.

As she poured the fragrant brew into two delicate china cups, she couldn't help but steal glances at Alex, his familiar presence filling her with a sense of comfort and nostalgia. But beneath the surface, she sensed the lingering tension that hung between them, a silent reminder of the complicated feelings that had always existed between them.

Setting the tea tray on the coffee table, Lily took a seat beside Alex, their knees barely touching as they sipped their tea in silence. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the soft ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner, each passing second filled with unspoken emotion.

Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer, Lily took a deep breath and turned to Alex, “There seems to be something you’d like to say to me, I’m I right?” she asked.

“There are a lot I’d love to say actually, but I wouldn’t want to rush things, ‘cause I know that you don’t do well under pressure, but have you been in contact with your parents lately? Have they told you anything about us?” He asked genuinely.

“About us, you say? Do you mean like you and me—us?” She asked, confused.

“Yes, Lively, but it doesn’t matter, just forget I said anything, okay?”

She was calm, “Well, I spoke with my parents last Sunday week and yes, they asked about you, if that was what you meant.”

“Oh yes, that was definitely what I meant. How have your studies been? I see you are making new friends.” He said

“Well, everything has been alright. No, Ethan is not a new friend. I met him five months ago before you came back to England”, she explained.

“Ethan Samuel Blackwood, owner of Blackwood Technology Worldwide,” he stated.

“How do you know him?” She asked.

“Let’s just say, it’s hard not to know him.” He responded “Lively, I was invited to a party which is tomorrow, will you please be my plus one?” He begged her.

“Yes, sure, I’ll be your plus one, you don’t have to beg me” she responded, giggling.

They discussed for sometime before he finally left. Lily took her phone and googled “Blackwood Technology Worldwide”. The results came out. “It is the biggest technology company in the world…” she read out loud. She couldn’t help but wonder why Ethan was after a girl like her, why he seemed to have something hidden within him, was all this truly a coincidence?

Her phone rang, it was her father. “Hello Dad”, she said cheerfully, “Hello pumpkin, I hope you are alright? I would love you to please come home as soon as you can”, he said “Dad, what’s wrong? She asked worriedly “it’s nothing, love, your mother and I haven’t seen you for some time now, and we miss you, that is all” he said, as he chuckled. He was a man filled with lots of laughter. “Okay dad, I’ll come home as soon as I can”, she said, relieved, although there was still a tiny bit of doubt within her. The day was full of lots of tension.