Ruin Me Gently

Chapter Nine

Scarlet POV

Callum leans in close, his breath warm against my ear as he tells some stupid story about Zain getting drunk and trying to order a pizza from a police station.

I laugh, real, belly-deep laughter, and for the first time all night, the nerves that have been strangling me loosen their grip.

Callum’s grin is lazy, easy, familiar in a way that makes my heart ache a little. His hand brushes my arm casually as he leans against the counter beside me, and even that tiny touch sparks a low, thrumming awareness under my skin.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch movement.

Zain...He’s across the room, tucked against Liam’s side, drink in hand. He’s watching me, watching us, and when he catches my eye, he lifts his cup in a tiny salute and nods once, grinning like a proud parent.

You got this, his look says.

I bite my lip, warmth blooming in my chest. Maybe I do.

Callum shifts a little closer, the distance between us shrinking until I can smell the faint trace of his cologne, clean and sharp. His gaze drops to my mouth, lingering, and something electric snaps tight in the air.

“You wanna get some air?” he asks, his voice low.

I nod before I can think about it.

He threads his fingers through mine, the familiarity of it nearly buckling my knees, and leads me upstairs. The music and laughter fade into a muffled hum as he pushes open a door and pulls me inside. A bedroom.

Dim light spills in from the hallway, casting everything in soft gold. Before I can second-guess it, Callum cups my jaw and kisses me.

It’s easy, instinctive. His mouth moves against mine like he remembers every inch of me. I kiss him back, fingers slipping up under his shirt, exploring the hard planes of his stomach, the heat of his skin.

He groans softly, deepening the kiss, his hands sliding around my waist, pulling me closer.

It should feel perfect. It almost does, but underneath the rush, there’s a coil of tension that won’t unwind.

A gnawing discomfort is low in my gut; it's not fear. Not really. Just... wrong.

I pull back suddenly, my chest heaving, my hands still fisted in the fabric of his shirt.

“Scarlet?” Callum’s voice is rough and confused.

I shake my head, step back, and put distance between us. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, hating the way my voice cracks. “I can’t. I thought I could, but... I can’t.”

His face softens instantly, and he raises his hands in surrender.

“It’s okay,” he says quietly. “You don’t have to explain.”

I still feel like I should. Like I owe him something more than just running away again. I just... can’t find the words.

Before I can embarrass myself further, I turn and slip out the door, closing it quietly behind me. My heart hammers painfully against my ribs as I move down the hall, away from Callum, away from the bedroom, away from the feeling of almost, but not quite.

And somehow, I already know, it’s not just about the wrong guy. It’s about waiting for the right feeling, and I’m not there yet.

When I get downstairs, the first person I see is Zain, standing near the door with Liam tucked close against his side.

He spots me instantly, sighs dramatically, and waves me over. “Didn’t go well?” he asks, pulling me into a quick hug.

“If by well you mean me running away before I could make a fool of myself... then it went perfectly,” I mutter into his shoulder.

He hugs me tighter, his palm warm against my back. “It’s fine, baby. Maybe next time.”

Maybe never, I think, but I don’t say it out loud. The truth is... I don’t think it’s about timing anymore. It’s about something deeper that I still can’t find.

Before I can spiral too much, Jake calls out across the room, lifting his phone. “Taxi’s here! I’m the only sober one left. If you want a ride, now’s the time!”

“Jake, me!” Callum yells from the kitchen. “And Sophie too. She needs a lift back.”

Zain glances over at Jake. “Three more here, if you can squeeze us in?”

Jake shrugs. “Throw one of the women on a lap. We’ll make it work.”

Outside, the air is cool and sobering. Jake hops into the driver’s seat, Callum claiming the front passenger spot beside him. Sophie climbs into the back first, squeezing to the far side. Liam follows, sliding in smoothly, and then Zain. He pats his lap with a wicked grin.

I groan but roll my eyes and climb in, settling onto his thighs. Not like I have much choice.

“All good?” Jake calls back.

Murmured confirmations fill the car, and we pull away from the curb.

Zain’s hands rest casually on my thighs, warm and loose. I relax against him, letting my head tip to the side slightly on the window. I can hear him and Liam whispering behind me, their voices low and intimate, threading around the thrum of the car engine.

Liam’s hand moves and grabs Zain’s that is resting on my thigh, and I don't think much of it. I turn my attention back to the passing scenery and try to ignore the fact that Callum is sitting directly in front of me.

For a while, everything feels normal, the low hum of conversation filling the car, the streetlights flashing by outside.

Then, fingers move. I glance down, and my stomach tightens.

Liam’s fingers are stroking along Zain’s, tracing slow, lazy patterns where their hands are joined over my thigh. I know he is not touching me, not really, he is only stroking Zain’s fingers, but the sensation rolls through me all the same. It feels like the caress is meant for me, each drag of his fingers sending a ripple of heat spiraling under my skin.

Something inside me twists, tight and overwhelming.

I breathe carefully through my nose, willing my body not to react, but it's already too late. The slow, almost thoughtless touches between them are burning through me, leaving me trembling in a way I can't hide.

Before I can gather my thoughts, a soft noise catches my attention, a faint, wet sound, and curiosity drags my gaze sideways. Just a glance. Behind me, Zain and Liam are kissing.

It is not a casual brush of lips, not a quick goodbye kiss. It is slow, deep, and consuming. Liam tilts Zain’s face up slightly with his free hand, holding him steady as their mouths move together in a rhythm that is intimate and raw.

The sight punches the air from my lungs.

Zain’s hand tightens slightly on my thigh, and Liam’s grip tightens over Zain’s, anchoring them both to me. I'm trapped between them, caught in their heat, and my whole body responds before my mind can catch up.

The kiss deepens, Liam’s fingers flexing around Zain’s hand, and the pressure of it sinks into my skin, spreading through me like wildfire.

My breath catches. I press my lips together hard, fighting the sound clawing its way up my throat. I want to moan, to arch into the touch, to beg for something I don’t even understand.

Every nerve in my body lights up, hypersensitive and straining for more. They aren’t even focused on me, not really, but it feels like I'm part of it, like I'm tangled between them, unable to escape.

I squeeze my eyes shut for a second, trying to block it out, but it does nothing. The image is burned into my mind, searing and electric.

Zain’s mouth parts slightly under Liam’s, a soft breath escaping, and Liam growls low in his throat, the sound vibrating through both their bodies and into mine.

The car keeps moving, the world outside a blur, but here, in this small, stolen pocket of space, I'm burning alive, and they don’t even know it.