Why¿

~ The Forbidden Attraction~ part two

Chapter Two – Part II

Ethan collected his drink—a black coffee, no sugar—and for a moment Emily thought he might leave without acknowledging her. Relief and disappointment tangled in her chest.

Then his gaze swept back, locking with hers. He didn’t hesitate. He crossed the café with the kind of quiet confidence that made people part without realizing they were moving.

Sarah’s smirk widened. “Oh, this is good. This is very good.”

Emily glared at her, panic rising, but it was too late. Ethan was already at their table.

“Mind if I join you?” His voice was low, warm, and directed entirely at Emily.

Her heart pounded. Words tangled in her throat, but Sarah—ever the opportunist—slid out of the booth with a dramatic stretch. “Actually, I was just leaving. You two catch up.” She winked shamelessly at Emily before sauntering to the door.

Emily wanted to strangle her.

Ethan slid into the seat across from her, setting his coffee down. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The café buzzed around them, but it felt like the noise belonged to another universe.

Finally, Emily whispered, “What are you doing here?”

His lips curved slightly. “Drinking coffee.”

Her eyes narrowed. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I know.” He leaned back, studying her. “But I didn’t expect to see you either.”

Silence stretched, thick with the memory of the funeral, of his hand brushing away her tears. Emily’s fingers twisted in her lap.

“You looked…” he paused, choosing his words carefully, “like you needed someone to remind you you’re still alive.”

Her breath caught. Heat curled in her stomach, dangerous and uninvited.

“That’s not your job,” she said softly.

“Maybe not.” His gaze didn’t waver. “But I want it to be.”

Her pulse hammered. No one had spoken to her like that—direct, unapologetic, as if he wasn’t afraid of the storm she carried inside.

She forced a laugh, brittle and defensive. “You barely know me.”

Ethan leaned forward, elbows resting on the table. The distance between them shrank until she could see the flecks of green in his eyes. “Sometimes you don’t need years to know someone. Sometimes a single moment tells you more than time ever could.”

The memory of his touch at the funeral flashed through her—his finger brushing away her tear, the steady calm in his presence. She shivered.

“Ethan…” She meant it as a warning, but it came out as a whisper.

He didn’t touch her, but his voice lowered to a near murmur. “Tell me to stop, Emily, and I will. Right now.”

Her name on his lips unraveled her.

She opened her mouth, but no words came.

Instead, she looked away, staring at the steam curling from her forgotten tea. Her silence was its own dangerous answer.

Ethan sat back slowly, giving her space but not breaking eye contact. “You don’t have to be afraid of wanting comfort. Even if it’s from me.”

Tears threatened again, not from grief this time but from the dizzying mix of guilt and desire tearing through her. “He was my brother,” she whispered, voice breaking. “And you were his friend.”

“I was.” Ethan’s voice was steady. “And that’s why I can’t stand watching you drown.”

Her throat tightened. She pressed her palm to her chest as if she could hold her heart together.

The café door opened, letting in a gust of cold air. Emily blinked, realizing she had been sitting on the edge of something—something she wasn’t ready to name.

She stood abruptly, grabbing her coat. “I should go.”

Ethan rose too, towering over her but not blocking her path. His hand twitched, as if he wanted to reach for her, but he didn’t. He let her choose.

Emily met his gaze one last time. The question in his eyes was the same as the one burning in hers. Why him? Why now? Why did it feel like this?

Without answering, she turned and pushed out into the rainy night.

But as the cold drops kissed her skin, she realized the truth she couldn’t admit even to her journal—

She wanted to see him again.