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1136 Words
The drive home was quiet except for the low hum of the engine and their uneven breathing. The truck smelled like her… sweet, warm, and dangerous. Ethan’s hands stayed locked on the wheel, knuckles white, while Mia sat with her seat back in its normal position, the white sundress smoothed down as best she could. Her cheeks were still flushed, thighs pressed tightly together.
Neither of them spoke.
When they pulled into the driveway, the house lights were on. Jake’s truck was already there. Ethan killed the engine and sat for a second, staring at the steering wheel.
Mia glanced at him, a small, satisfied smile playing on her lips. “You okay?”
He didn’t answer. He just got out and walked toward the front door like a man heading to his own execution.
Inside, Jake and Sarah were in the living room. Jake looked up from the couch, eyebrows raised. “You’re back early. How was the party?”
Mia stepped in behind Ethan, her smile bright and easy, like nothing had happened. “It was fine. A bit loud.”
Ethan couldn’t look at Jake. His eyes stayed fixed on the floor as he muttered, “Yeah. Fine.”
Jake frowned, sensing something off. “You good, man? You look like you saw a ghost.”
“I’m tired,” Ethan said quickly. His voice sounded rough even to his own ears. “Long day. I’m heading to my room.”
He brushed past them without another word, heading straight down the hallway. Sarah watched him go, her expression curious but concerned. She stood up and followed him a moment later.
Mia stayed in the living room, still smiling softly. She walked over to the kitchen counter and poured herself a glass of water, completely at ease.
Jake leaned back on the couch, studying her.
“Everything alright with you two? Ethan seemed weird.”
Mia shrugged, taking a slow sip. “He’s just being protective. You know how he gets.”
Jake didn’t look convinced, but he let it drop for now. “Yeah… well, next time I’m coming with you. Can’t have my best friend playing bodyguard all summer.”
Mia’s smile widened just a fraction, secret and knowing. “Sure, Jake.”
Down the hall, Ethan closed the door to his room and leaned against it, breathing hard. His mind was still replaying every second in the truck — the taste of her, the way she had trembled under his tongue, the broken way she’d said his name when she came.
He dragged a hand down his face. This was getting out of control. And the worst part? He wasn’t sure he wanted it to stop.
A soft knock sounded.
“Ethan?” Sarah’s voice came through the wood, gentle but concerned.
He opened the door. She stepped inside, closing it behind her. “Hey… you’ve been weird since you got back. Did something happen at the party?”
Ethan forced a smile that felt cracked. “Nothing. Just tired. The guy was being pushy with Mia, so I stepped in. That’s all.”
Sarah studied him for a long moment, her eyes searching his face. “You sure? You look like you’re carrying the world on your shoulders.”
He nodded too quickly. “I’m fine. Really.”
She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. Ethan hugged her back, but his arms felt wooden. All he could think about was how different Mia’s body had felt under his hands — softer, warmer, more dangerous.
The next morning, Ethan woke up before sunrise. He didn’t sleep much. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Mia’s flushed face, heard her broken moans in the dark truck, felt her thighs trembling around his head.
He slipped out of bed quietly, avoiding Sarah who was
still sleeping beside him. He needed space. Distance. Time to get his head straight.
He spent the entire morning outside — fixing the pool filter with Jake, mowing the lawn, anything that kept him busy and away from the house. When Jake suggested breakfast, Ethan claimed he wasn’t hungry. When Sarah tried to pull him into conversation, he gave short answers and found another chore.
He was avoiding her. Mia noticed immediately.
She spent the morning in the kitchen, helping Sarah with small tasks, but her eyes kept drifting toward the backyard where Ethan was working shirtless under the sun. Every time he came inside for water, he barely looked at her. He’d mutter something about needing to help Jake and disappear again.
By afternoon, Mia had enough.
She waited until Jake and Sarah went to the store for groceries. The moment the front door closed, she found Ethan in the garage, organizing tools he didn’t need to touch.
“You’ve been avoiding me all day,” she said, leaning against the doorway. Her voice was calm, but there was steel underneath.
Ethan didn’t turn around. He kept sorting wrenches. “I’m busy.”
“Busy?” She stepped closer, the thin summer dress she wore brushing against her thighs. “You weren’t too busy last night in the truck.”
He tensed, jaw tightening. “Mia… don’t.”
“Don’t what?” She moved until she was right behind him. “Don’t remind you how good it felt? How you couldn’t stop tasting me? How you made me come so hard I couldn’t even speak?”
Ethan turned sharply, eyes dark. “Stop. We agreed it was a mistake.”
“You agreed,” she corrected softly. “I never did.”
He took a step back, putting distance between them, but the garage suddenly felt too small. “Jake and Sarah could come back any minute. This isn’t a game.”
Mia tilted her head, eyes locked on his. “It stopped being a game the moment you put your mouth on me and told me I was going to end you.”
Ethan’s breathing grew heavier. His hands clenched at
his sides. He wanted to tell her to leave. He wanted to pull her close. The war inside him was tearing him apart.
“I’m trying to do the right thing,” he said, voice low and strained.
Mia took one more step forward, close enough that he could smell her vanilla scent. “Then stop fighting what you really want.”
For a long moment, the only sound was their breathing.
Ethan’s gaze dropped to her lips, then lower, remembering exactly how she had tasted.
He cursed under his breath and turned away again, gripping the workbench so tightly his knuckles went white.
Mia smiled softly, satisfied for now. She wasn’t done pushing. And she knew he was running out of reasons to run.
- Writer
