Cracks in the Silence
795 Words
The city pulsed outside, loud and restless, but Elias’s penthouse was cocooned in dangerous quiet. Avery pulled on her clothes with shaky hands, the soreness in her thighs a constant reminder of what they’d done, of what they couldn’t stop doing.
Elias watched her from the bed, still naked, one arm propped lazily behind his head. His eyes tracked every movement, hunger simmering just beneath his calm.
“You don’t have to leave yet,” he said, his voice smooth but edged.
She froze, tugging her blouse over her head. “I do. It’s already morning. If my dad notices I never came home—”
Elias sat up, his expression hardening. “Then let him notice.”
She spun, glaring at him. “Don’t you get it? He trusts me. He thinks I’m at Zara’s apartment. If he finds out the truth…” Her words trailed off, bile rising in her throat.
Elias rose from the bed, his body commanding even in silence. He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, his mouth grazing her ear. “The truth is ours. No one else’s. You worry too much.”
But she did worry. Every second. Their parents weren’t fools—they would notice the way she looked at Elias, the way she flinched whenever their names came up in the same breath.
Her phone buzzed sharply on the nightstand, breaking the fragile stillness. Avery snatched it, her stomach dropping when she saw the name flashing on the screen.
Dad.
Her breath caught.
Elias smirked, brushing his lips against her temple. “Answer it.”
She shot him a glare but pressed the phone to her ear. “H-hey, Dad.”
“Where are you?” Her father’s voice was clipped, suspicious. “It’s early, and your stepmother said your room was empty.”
Avery swallowed hard, panic threatening to choke her. “I… I stayed at Zara’s last night. We had a girls’ movie marathon. Sorry, I forgot to text.”
Silence. Her father never liked when she forgot things. She could almost feel him weighing her words.
“Next time, tell us,” he said finally. “Your stepmother was worried.”
Relief washed through her. “I will. I promise.”
When she hung up, her hands were trembling. Elias plucked the phone from her fingers, setting it aside. His eyes gleamed with amusement. “You’re a terrible liar.”
“Don’t joke about this,” she snapped, her chest tight. “One slip and everything falls apart.”
Elias’s smirk faded, his gaze sharpening. He cupped her face, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Then don’t slip. Because I’m not giving you up, Avery. Not now. Not ever.”
Her lips parted, fear and desire tangling in her throat. “You talk like this is forever.”
His thumb stroked her cheek, his expression fierce. “It is. Whether you like it or not.”
Her heart thudded painfully. The words should have scared her. Instead, they rooted themselves deep inside her, heavy and permanent.
A knock on the door jolted them both. Sharp. Unexpected.
Avery’s eyes widened. “Who—?”
Elias stiffened, pulling on his sweatpants with casual precision. “Stay here.”
Her pulse raced as he strode to the door, opening it just enough to reveal a tall man in a dark suit. His voice was low, but Avery caught fragments—“business,” “urgent,” “can’t wait.”
Elias’s demeanor shifted instantly. Cold. Dangerous. She’d seen that look before, but only when he dealt with strangers.
When he shut the door again, his jaw was tight. He grabbed his shirt, pulling it over his head. “I have to go.”
Avery’s stomach twisted. “Go? Where?”
“Nowhere you need to worry about.” His tone left no room for questions.
She stared at him, realization dawning. Elias had secrets—secrets that stretched beyond their forbidden affair. Secrets that might explain the darkness in his eyes, the scars on his knuckles, the late-night phone calls he never answered in front of her.
Her chest tightened. She wasn’t the only one living a lie.
“Elias…” Her voice trembled. “What aren’t you telling me?”
He paused, his gaze locking onto hers with brutal intensity. For a moment, she thought he might confess.
Then he crossed the room, grabbing her chin, kissing her hard and quick, like a brand seared into her lips. “One day, I’ll tell you everything,” he murmured against her mouth. “But not today.”
And then he was gone, the door slamming shut behind him, leaving Avery standing in the silence—half-dressed, half-broken, and utterly consumed.
- Writer
