unspoken

Chapter 12: Party Heat

The weekend of the parties finally arrived, and Ethan and I met up earlier than everyone else to help set up. Ryan was busy with last-minute arrangements, and Gigi was making sure every detail was perfect. The house buzzed with excitement—men laughing and joking while they prepared drinks and decorations, women bustling around in bright dresses, planning games and making lists.

From the moment we arrived, it was impossible to ignore each other. Even while helping Gigi and Ryan, our hands found excuses to brush against one another—sliding past while handing over a tray, leaning close to whisper a joke, fingers tangling for just a second too long.

As the first guests trickled in, the energy picked up. Men and women mingled, teasing each other, laughing loudly, and teasingly daring each other to join games. Ethan leaned close to me, his hand lightly grazing mine as he whispered, “This is chaos. But I like it.”

I smirked. “Yeah…chaos that we might have to sneak through.”

And sneak we did. At one point, as Ryan distracted a group with a toast, Ethan pulled me into the corner of the room. It started as a playful nudge, but soon we were pressed close, hands grazing and teasing in the safest spot we could find. Soft kisses found my lips between giggles, and every brush of our hands against each other sent sparks shooting through me.

“Careful,” I whispered, my heart hammering. “We can’t—”

Before I could finish, Gigi’s voice rang out from the doorway. “Oh! There you two are! What’s going on?”

I froze, cheeks burning, and pulled back slightly. “Nope. Not now,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “This is your night. I already—uh, ruined it, I’m sorry. I…want to leave,” I muttered, my hands flying to hide my face in embarrassment.

Ryan appeared behind her, shaking his head with a laugh. “Seriously? Right here?”

Gigi laughed softly, but I could see the teasing sparkle in her eyes. “You two…you’re impossible.”

I mumbled another apology, wishing I could disappear, but Ethan just leaned closer and whispered, low and warm, “We’ll fix this later. Tonight is hers—we’ll be careful.”

I nodded, still flushed, letting him guide me back to the party, hearts racing, secret smiles shared, and fingers brushing as we moved. Even caught, even embarrassed, the tension between us hadn’t faded—it had only grown, teasing, playful, and impossibly hot.