Chapter 43
Aiden
17%
I walked into the locker room just as laughter died. Low murmurs–too low Like secrets sealed behind teeth the moment I stepped through the door.
Keon’s voice. Miguel’s, too. And Noah, standing still between them with flushed cheeks, eyes down, and Keon’s damn arm slung casually over his shoulder like they were lifelong friends.
I stopped cold as my chest tightened.
It shouldn’t have bothered me. It shouldn’t have.
But it did.
I knew what I was seeing. Friendship. Camaraderie. Comfort in shared struggle. And still–jealousy flared hot and mean in my gut.
He hadn’t answered my message.
He hadn’t checked in.
He’d come back from his little beach date with sand in his shoes and a ghost of a smile he tried to hide. And now he was here, in my locker room, finding comfort in others instead of facing me.
I wanted to drag him away.
I wanted to press him against the lockers, kiss the breath out of him–pump him full with my seed, just as I’ve been fantasizing to do since we met–until he remembered who he fucking belonged to.
I wanted to whisper in his ear that there would be no girls, no Keon, no distractions. That his place was here–with me.
But I said nothing.
I kept my steps even. Focused. I walked past them with a stiff nod and let the tension crawl up the back of my neck like a live wire.
I didn’t miss the way Keon’s hand dropped away from Noah’s shoulder.
Didn’t miss the way Miguel cleared his throat and muttered something about needing to hit the dining hall before it closed.
Didn’t miss how all of them scrambled, guilt written across their backs as they rushed to grab their bags and escape
I said nothing, even when my instincts screamed to stay to confront–to im
When the door finally shut behind the last of them, silence fell again.
Except for him–my Noah.
Still standing by the bench, half dressed, hair damp from his rushed show and eyes locked on mine with something that looked) and a thousand unsaid things.
22:35 Sat, Feb 70 B
Chapter 43
He didn’t move, and neither did 1. My hands flexed at my sides. My jaw acted from how hard I clenched it.
17%
I wanted to yell.
I wanted to demand where he’d been after their little trip, who that girl was, if she fucking touched him–if he let her.
I wanted to punish him for not answering. For drinking. For leaving me to wonder. For talking to his friends before talking to me.
Unless… Unless he was talking about me–about us. After all, they were whispering, and they had seemed startled when I showed up…
We needed to talk about this, get it all in the open, but I knew this wasn’t the place.
Not here. Not now…. Not when we’d already drawn too much attention. So I breathed in deep. Let it out slow. And without a word, I turned and headed into the showers.
I didn’t see the way his face fell when I walked past him.
Didn’t see the way his shoulders slumped.
But I felt it.
And God help me, I wanted to turn around and fix it, but I didn’t, because if I did–if I broke again–this whole damn structure I’d built around us would collapse. And I wasn’t ready for that. I wasn’t ready to lose him. Noah was mine, and by God, I was not gonna let him let go.
I didn’t hear him at first. I felt him. The quiet shift in the air. The soft click of the door behind us. The way the space seemed to narrow with his presence–charged, fragile, trembling like a wire pulled too tight.
I didn’t turn around. Didn’t have to. Noah was watching me. Drinking me in with that same dangerous hunger I’d seen before–eyes full of something he didn’t yet understand, but I did. Because it mirrored mine.
Comments
R Visitor
I can’t put it down
7 days ago
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
