Off-Limits

Crossing the Line

Ethan’s Pov

Every second Marcus stood in my living room felt like holding a live grenade with the pin pulled out. My heart was hammering a violent beat against my ribs, but I forced my face to stay completely still, like a stone wall. Marcus was my brother in every way that mattered, but right now, the way he was looking at Lena and me made my blood run cold. If he saw the way my pulse spiked when she was near me, or the way I looked at her when I thought nobody was watching, everything would shatter into a thousand pieces.

"I found the gear," Marcus said, dragging a heavy black sports bag out of the guest hallway. He paused in the center of the room, his sharp eyes cutting back and forth between Lena and me one last time. "I'm heading back to the team hotel."

"Drive safe," I said softly, keeping my voice as flat as possible.

Marcus didn't smile. He just gave a small nod, grabbed his bag, and stepped out into the hallway. The front door clicked shut behind him, and the sudden silence that filled the apartment was so loud it made my ears ring.

I let out a long, heavy breath and squeezed my eyes shut, rubbing the back of my neck. I was exhausted, stressed, and terrified. I turned around to head toward my bedroom, wanting nothing more than to hide in the dark and pretend tonight never happened.

"Ethan, wait."

Lena’s voice was small, but it cut straight through me. She was standing near the edge of the rug, her arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Her dark eyes were bright with emotion, staring at me like she was trying to read a lock she couldn't open.

"Go to sleep, Lena," I said softly, refusing to look directly at her. "It's late, and you have work early tomorrow."

"No," she said, stepping closer. Her small feet made no sound against the wood floor. "I’m not going to sleep. Every single time things get real between us, you pull away. You treat me like I’m a dangerous fire you're trying not to touch! Why are you acting like this? Marcus is gone now. You don't have to pretend."

"I'm not pretending anything," I lied, my voice tightening.

"Yes, you are!" Lena shouted, her voice shaking with hurt. "You treat me like I’m just Marcus’s little sister who gets in your way. You act like you can barely stand being in the same room as me, but then you look at me like... like you want to say something important, and then you just hide! Just tell me the truth, Ethan. Why do you hate being near me so much?"

Her words hit my chest like a physical punch. She actually thought I hated her. She thought my silence was because I couldn't stand her.

Something inside my head snapped. All the years of holding my breath, all the nights spent watching her laugh with her family while keeping my hands buried in my pockets, all the stupid rules I had built to protect everyone else, it all collapsed in a single split second.

"You think I hate being near you?" I asked, taking two fast, heavy steps toward her.

Lena flinched slightly at the sudden movement, but she didn't step back.

"I don't pull away because I hate you, Lena!" I said, my voice rising, thick with a deep, dark emotion I couldn't hide anymore. "I pull away because being near you is driving me completely crazy!"

Lena’s breath hitched, her dark eyes widening in total shock. "What?"

"I don't see you as just Marcus's little sister!" I stepped even closer, stopping just inches away from her. The room felt burning hot, and I could hear her fast, tiny gasps for air. "I haven't seen you like that for years! Every single time you walk into a room, I can't look at anyone else. Every time you smile, my entire heart stops. I didn't want you to stay here because I wanted to keep my distance, but having you in my home, smelling your perfume, hearing your voice down the hall... it is torture, Lena. Pure torture."

Lena stared up at me, her lower lip trembling slightly. Her face was completely pale, flushed with red on her cheeks. "Ethan... you... you've wanted me?"

"I have wanted you for longer than you could ever imagine," I whispered, my voice dropping into a rough, desperate gravel. "I stayed away because you are Marcus’s sister. Because he is my best friend, and he trusts me. I stayed away because I knew that if I ever let myself touch you, I would never be able to stop."

The silence between us was electric, humming like a live wire. Lena’s chest was rising and falling fast. She didn't run away. She didn't look scared. She just looked at my lips, then back up to my eyes, her hand slowly rising to rest against the center of my chest, right over my wildly hammering heart.

"Ethan..." she breathed softly.

Her touch burned through my shirt like fire. I couldn't stop myself anymore. I reached out and gently caught her face in my hand, my fingers sliding into her soft hair. She leaned into my touch with a tiny sigh, closing her eyes. I bent my head down, my breath mingling with hers. I was seconds away from pressing my lips to hers, seconds away from throwing away every rule, every promise, and every secret I had ever kept.

*Marcus trust you.*

The thought slammed into my brain like a cold bucket of ice water. The memory of Marcus’s suspicious, hurt eyes from just ten minutes ago flashed behind my eyelids. If I kissed her right now, if we crossed this line, there would be no going back. I would destroy my friendship with Marcus. I would wreck our team. And if things went wrong, I could hurt Lena in ways she didn't deserve.

With a heavy, painful groan, I forced myself to stop. My lips were a fraction of an inch from hers, but I pulled back, my hand slowly falling away from her soft hair.

Lena opened her eyes, looking confused and dazed, like she had just been pulled out of a deep dream.

"I can't," I choked out, taking a step backward, putting distance between us before I lost my control again. "I'm sorry, Lena. I can't do this to Marcus. And I can't do this to you."

Before she could say another word, I turned on my heel and walked straight down the hallway into my bedroom, closing the door firmly behind me. I leaned my back against the hard wood, staring up at the dark ceiling, my heart breaking into pieces in the quiet night.