CHAPTER 9: Unseen Eyes
834 Words
Ariana’s POV
I shouldn’t have said that.
Next time, don’t stop.
The words replayed in my head all night, refusing to fade. I barely slept. And when I did, it was filled with flashes of Ethan—his voice, his touch, the way he looked at me like he was holding himself back from something dangerous.
By morning, I knew one thing.
Nothing between us was normal anymore.
I avoided the usual paths on campus, taking the longer route behind the sports complex. The air was cooler there, quieter, far from the noise and curious eyes.
Or so I thought.
I slowed my steps.
That feeling again.
Like I wasn’t alone.
I turned sharply.
No one.
Just empty benches and the faint rustle of leaves.
“Paranoid already?”
I froze.
Vanessa stepped out from behind the bleachers, her expression calm, almost amused.
My chest tightened. “You really like showing up uninvited.”
“And you really like ignoring warnings,” she replied smoothly.
I crossed my arms, forcing myself to stay steady. “What do you want now?”
She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she walked slowly around me, her heels soft against the pavement.
“You’re bold,” she said. “I didn’t expect that.”
“I’m not trying to impress you.”
“You’re not,” she agreed. “You’re making yourself a problem.”
I turned to face her. “Then maybe you should deal with it instead of talking.”
For a second, her eyes darkened.
Then she smiled.
“Oh, I am.”
Something about the way she said it made my stomach twist.
“What does that mean?”
“It means,” she said, stepping closer, “you still think this is about jealousy.”
“Isn’t it?”
Her laugh was soft, almost pitying.
“You really don’t know him.”
The words hit deeper than I expected.
Before I could respond—
“Ariana.”
Ethan’s voice cut through the air.
Relief hit me before I could stop it.
He walked toward us, his expression darker than I had ever seen it. Controlled—but barely.
“Step back,” he said, his tone sharp.
Vanessa didn’t move. “You’re starting to repeat yourself.”
“And you’re starting to push your limits.”
Something flickered between them.
Something dangerous.
Vanessa’s gaze shifted briefly to me, then back to him. “She’s not going anywhere, is she?”
Ethan didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
The silence said everything.
Her smile faded slightly. “That’s going to be a problem.”
“For you,” he replied.
For the first time, her composure cracked—just a little.
Then it was gone.
“We’ll see,” she said softly.
And just like that, she turned and walked away again.
But this time…
It didn’t feel like the end.
It felt like a warning.
---
The silence she left behind was heavier than before.
I exhaled slowly. “She’s getting worse.”
Ethan didn’t respond immediately. His eyes stayed fixed in the direction she disappeared.
“I told you this wouldn’t stop,” he said finally.
“I know,” I admitted.
That was the problem.
I knew now.
And I still wasn’t walking away.
He turned to me then, his gaze softening slightly. “You shouldn’t be here alone.”
“I’m starting to think nowhere is safe,” I muttered.
His jaw tightened.
Then he stepped closer.
Not rushed.
Not hesitant.
Just certain.
“You stay with me,” he said quietly.
My heart skipped. “That sounds familiar.”
“This time, I mean it.”
I held his gaze. “And if I don’t listen?”
His expression shifted—something darker, more intense.
“Then I’ll make you.”
The words should have sounded like control.
But they didn’t.
They felt like something else entirely.
Something that made my pulse quicken instead of fear rising.
“That’s not fair,” I whispered.
“Neither is this,” he replied.
The space between us felt smaller again.
Charged.
Different after last night.
My eyes dropped briefly to his lips before I could stop myself.
He noticed.
Of course he did.
His hand lifted slightly—like he was about to touch me again.
But this time—
He stopped himself.
The restraint was worse than the touch.
“We can’t keep doing this,” he said, his voice lower now.
“Then stop,” I challenged softly.
Silence.
He didn’t move.
Didn’t step back.
Didn’t look away.
And that was my answer.
A slow breath left me. “That’s what I thought.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then his hand dropped completely, like he was forcing himself to let go of something invisible.
“This isn’t over,” he said.
“I know.”
And that was the truth.
Vanessa wasn’t done.
Ethan wasn’t in control.
And me?
I was already too deep to turn back.
- Writer
