Jealousy
589 Words
Amelia didn’t notice him at first.
She was too busy laughing—really laughing—as one of the groom’s friends animatedly told a story near the pool, mimicking dramatic hand gestures that drew a small audience. The afternoon sun glinted off the water, music drifted from hidden speakers, and for a brief moment, she felt… light.
Then she felt it.
That unmistakable sensation of being watched.
Her laughter faded as her gaze shifted across the pool deck—and landed on Ethan.
He stood a short distance away, drink in hand, posture relaxed to anyone else watching. But Amelia knew him better now. His jaw was tight. His eyes were fixed on her.
On the man beside her.
She swallowed.
The groom’s friend—Marcus, she remembered—leaned in slightly. “You’ve got a great laugh,” he said. “Makes people want to keep talking.”
“Careful,” she teased. “Flattery works too well on me.”
Marcus grinned. “Good to know.”
That was when Ethan moved.
He crossed the space between them with unhurried confidence, slipping seamlessly into Amelia’s personal space. His arm wrapped around her waist—possessive, deliberate, undeniably intimate.
“There you are,” he said, his voice smooth but low. “I was wondering where you disappeared to.”
Amelia’s breath hitched at the contact.
Marcus blinked, then laughed awkwardly. “Oh—sorry. I didn’t realize—”
Ethan smiled. It didn’t reach his eyes. “No worries. I’m Ethan.”
“Marcus,” he replied, shaking Ethan’s hand. “Friend of the groom.”
“Ah,” Ethan said. “That explains the storytelling.”
Amelia felt Ethan’s thumb press lightly into her side—grounding, claiming. Her pulse raced.
“Well,” Marcus said, glancing between them, “I’ll let you two get back to… whatever this is.”
When he left, the silence between Amelia and Ethan stretched tight.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said quietly.
“Yes,” he replied just as softly. “I did.”
She turned to face him. “Why?”
His gaze flicked briefly in the direction Marcus had gone, then back to her. “Because he was getting too comfortable.”
“And that bothered you?”
“Yes.”
The honesty startled her.
“That’s not very professional,” she said, trying—and failing—to sound casual.
Ethan’s hand slipped from her waist, but the heat of it lingered.
“No,” he agreed. “It’s not.”
They stood there, tension crackling between them like static.
Finally, Ethan exhaled slowly. “I should apologize.”
She raised an eyebrow. “For what?”
“For wanting something I’m not supposed to.”
Her heart skipped. “Ethan—”
“I know,” he said quickly. “I know the rules. I’m not crossing them.”
“But you want to.”
He met her gaze, unflinching. “Yes.”
The word landed heavy between them.
Before she could respond, her mother’s voice called from across the pool, summoning her for photos. The moment shattered, reality rushing back in.
Ethan stepped away, rebuilding his walls with practiced ease.
“We should get back,” he said. “They’re watching.”
As they walked side by side, Amelia’s thoughts raced.
Jealousy wasn’t part of the contract.
Neither was the way her heart reacted when she realized she liked that he cared.
And that scared her more than anything else.
- Writer
