fire beneath the surface
750 Words
Chapter Thirteen: Fire Beneath the Surface
The idea had come too casually—slipped into conversation over lunch like it meant nothing.
“You have a pool, right? Why don’t you host something small?” Talia had suggested with a grin. “Just us and a few people.”
I said yes before I really thought it through. Maybe I needed a distraction from the quiet tension Xavier left behind every time he was near. Or maybe… I just wanted to feel normal. For once.
By Saturday afternoon, the backyard was alive. Music pulsed softly from the speakers, the pool sparkled like it had been waiting for us, and the smell of grilled food drifted through the breeze. Laughter rang out like we were all just ordinary teenagers.
I wore a red one-piece swimsuit—elegant, but undeniably bold. The back plunged dangerously low, and the sides curved high along my hips. I hadn’t put much thought into it when I slipped it on, but judging by the way heads turned, maybe I should have.
Especially Kian’s.
He’d been the first to show up and hadn’t left my side since. He looked effortlessly good—broad shoulders, sunlit skin, that relaxed confidence that made everything feel easy. Every time he brushed his fingers against my arm or leaned in close to say something, I found myself laughing too loud, smiling too wide.
And for a few perfect moments, I forgot.
I forgot I wasn’t a girl with a simple life. I forgot Xavier’s eyes could burn like a storm. I forgot there were rules—silent, invisible rules he hadn’t spoken but I still felt in my bones.
I didn’t notice Xavier at first.
And that… that made everything worse.
Kian reached for my hand with a boyish grin. “Come on. Don’t tell me you’re scared of a little water.”
“I can’t swim,” I laughed, half protesting.
“I’ve got you,” he said smoothly, his hands already finding my waist. Warm, firm, too confident. He pulled me closer, water lapping gently around us, his fingers sliding just beneath the surface.
I gasped—a sharp breath I didn’t expect. Not from fear.
That’s when it happened.
The air shifted.
Still. Heavy. Cold.
My back stiffened.
I turned—and there he was.
Xavier stood at the edge of the patio, dressed in a black shirt with the sleeves rolled just enough to expose the tension in his forearms. His gaze was fixed on us—on Kian’s hands, on the water between our bodies, on me. Something dark flickered in his eyes. Something that promised heat beneath the calm.
For a heartbeat, time froze.
And then he moved.
Each step was deliberate, his voice even—but laced with steel. “The party’s over.”
The laughter stopped. The music cut. You could feel the way the atmosphere snapped tight.
“What?” I blinked, water dripping from my lashes, pulse hammering.
“You heard me.” He didn’t even look at me. His eyes never left Kian. “Everyone. Out.”
Talia and Bianca shared wide-eyed glances before grabbing their towels and whispering rushed goodbyes. No one questioned him. They just moved.
Except Kian.
He lingered, defiant in his quiet way. He looked at me—just me—and stepped in close.
“I should get going,” he said gently. Then, without hesitation, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to my cheek. Warm. Slow. Deliberate. “Thanks for today.”
His arms wrapped around me in a friendly hug. But it wasn’t friendly—not under Xavier’s gaze. It was a line crossed.
When I stepped back, I felt it.
Xavier wasn’t breathing.
His eyes were darker than I’d ever seen them. Not furious. Not shouting. Just... boiling. Contained rage. Possessive and primal.
Kian offered a small wave and left.
And then it was just us.
Me, standing dripping wet in red and silence.
Him, watching the doorway where Kian had disappeared—his fists clenched at his sides.
“I was just—” I started.
“Inside,” he cut in. His voice was low. Controlled. Sharp enough to slice.
I obeyed.
But it wasn’t fear that made my legs move.
It was heat. Thick and electric under my skin. A pulse I couldn’t quiet.
Because as much as his control terrified me…
A dangerous part of me wanted to see what would happen when he finally lost it.
- Writer
