CHAPTER 10: What He Never Said
707 Words
Ariana’s POV
---
I couldn’t shake the feeling.
Even after leaving the sports complex, even with Ethan beside me, it stayed—like something unseen was still watching.
“You’re quiet,” he said.
“I’m thinking.”
“That’s dangerous.”
I stopped in front of my dorm instead of going in. “No more half-truths.”
His jaw tightened. “Ariana—”
“No. Vanessa isn’t normal. And you know exactly why.”
Silence.
Then he exhaled. “Come with me.”
---
We didn’t stay on campus.
Ethan drove us into the city, away from everything familiar.
“Where are we going?”
“My place.”
My heart skipped.
---
His house was quiet. Controlled. Like nothing in it was out of place.
“You live alone?” I asked.
“Yes.”
Of course he did.
He closed the door behind us, and suddenly everything felt more real.
“You wanted the truth,” he said.
I nodded.
“Then listen.”
---
“Vanessa and I grew up in the same circle,” he began. “Our families are connected. Business. Influence.”
I frowned. “So she’s always been around.”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Long enough that people expected us to end up together.”
My chest tightened. “And you didn’t?”
“No.”
The answer came instantly.
“But she believed it,” he added.
That explained a lot.
“She doesn’t act like someone who got rejected,” I said.
“She didn’t,” he replied.
I stilled. “What?”
“I never gave her a clear answer.”
Frustration rose. “So you just let her believe it?”
“I let things stay the way they were. It was easier.”
“For you,” I said.
“Yes.”
The honesty didn’t help.
“And now?”
“Now she’s losing control. And Vanessa doesn’t handle that well.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “So everything happening is because of that?”
“Not just that.”
My chest tightened. “Then what else?”
He hesitated.
There it was.
Something he wasn’t saying.
“Ethan.”
“She knows things about my family,” he said finally. “Things I don’t share.”
“Like what?”
His gaze dropped briefly. “Things that make this complicated.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting right now.”
Frustration flared. “You’re doing it again.”
“I’m protecting you.”
“No,” I said firmly. “You’re protecting yourself.”
The words landed hard.
Silence stretched between us.
Then he stepped closer.
“You think I don’t know that?” he asked quietly.
His voice wasn’t cold.
It was strained.
Real.
My heart started racing. “Then stop.”
“Stop what?”
“Stop pushing me away while pulling me in,” I said. “You can’t do both.”
His eyes locked on mine.
“I can if it keeps you safe.”
“That’s not your decision.”
Silence.
Then something shifted.
“Then what do you want?” he asked.
The question caught me off guard.
“I want the truth,” I said. “And I want you to stop acting like I’m temporary.”
That hit. I saw it.
“I’m not—”
“You are,” I cut in. “Every time you hold back.”
The tension tightened.
“And what if this ends badly?” he asked quietly.
My chest tightened. “Then at least it was real.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
He stepped closer again.
Close enough that I could feel the warmth of him.
“This isn’t temporary,” he said.
“Then prove it.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
For a second, everything stilled.
Then his hand lifted, brushing lightly against my jaw.
Not hesitant.
Certain.
“You keep asking for things you don’t understand,” he said softly.
“Then make me understand.”
His gaze dropped to my lips.
That same look.
Stronger now.
More dangerous.
And this time—
He didn’t step back.
- Writer
