Maybe

Chapter 54 Almost

Ethan didn’t say much at first. He just nodded and began walking ahead, clearly expecting me to follow. The sound of his footsteps was all I could hear as I trailed behind him, each step feeling heavier than the last. 

As we exited the building and made our way down the street, the air between us grew thick with unspoken words. I could feel his presence more acutely now, with every glance he threw over his shoulder, and it only made me more aware of how little distance was left between us.

It was like I could feel the weight of his intentions without him saying a word.

Would I be okay walking alongside him?

As the car came to a stop, I fumbled with the seatbelt, struggling to unbuckle it. My hands felt clumsy, as if they didn’t belong to me anymore. I tugged again, frustration bubbling up.

"Having trouble?" Ethan’s voice broke through the silence, his tone light and teasing. I shot him a glare, but it only seemed to amuse him further.

I kept trying to free myself from the belt, but my attempts were futile.

Finally, Ethan sighed, his amusement fading just a little. He reached over and gently took my hand away, pulling it from the seatbelt with a calm authority. "You’ll hurt yourself," he muttered.

Before I could react, he unbuckled his own seatbelt and leaned in closer. The sudden proximity made my breath catch, and I turned my head, refusing to meet his gaze.

The air between us felt thick, charged, as if the smallest movement could ignite something neither of us wanted to acknowledge.

But Ethan didn’t seem to care. His hands moved quickly, skillfully working to fix the belt that I couldn’t seem to get right. He didn’t pull back, leaning in so close that I could feel the heat from his body, the faint scent of wine lingering around him. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it made my heart race for reasons I couldn’t explain.

I kept my gaze on the door, trying to avoid the tension building in the space between us. But despite my best efforts, my eyes kept drifting to him. And when they did, he noticed. His gaze caught mine, locking us in place.

For a long, electric moment, we stared at each other. His eyes flickered down to my lips, and I felt the sudden shift in the air, as if everything else around us had faded away. My pulse quickened, my breath caught in my throat. He didn’t look away. Neither did I.

I could hear the sound of my heartbeat in my ears, louder than anything else. My body felt like it was betraying me, wanting to close the distance between us. But I stayed frozen, not knowing what to do or how to react.

His eyes dropped to my lips, and I thought for a brief moment that he might kiss me. My breath caught in my throat, my pulse quickening.

Then, out of nowhere, the seatbelt clicked. I felt the tension in my body release as it finally loosened. He quickly grabbed the belt, pulling it away from me so it wouldn’t snap back and hurt me. I immediately looked away, my face flushed, unable to hold his gaze any longer.

Without another word, he leaned back into his seat.

I didn't waste any second there. The air felt colder as I stepped out, My heart was still pounding from the closeness, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of what almost happened.

I swallowed hard, trying to shake off the feeling. But I couldn’t.

......

Ethan felt it before he even realized what was happening. Her gaze, her proximity, the way she seemed to melt under his stare—it all happened so fast, so unexpected.

For a moment, he almost lost it. Her eyes had locked onto his, and everything else in the car seemed to disappear. His heart was pounding, erratically, and the sudden warmth from her body so close to his was enough to make his mind race.

He couldn’t focus. Not on her lips, not on the way she stared at him like she didn’t know what was happening either. The tension was suffocating. His body screamed for him to pull away, to create some space, but his mind was fighting it, questioning why the hell this felt so intense.

His fingers tightened on the seatbelt, fumbling to fix it as his breath hitched. When his gaze dropped to her lips, he cursed himself silently. Why was this so hard?

I almost..

Frustration bubbled up inside him like a force he couldn’t control. He punched the steering wheel, the sudden sound echoing in the quiet car. His heart was still hammering, his chest tight, and the heat between them wasn’t helping.

Control yourself.

He leaned back in the seat, taking a deep breath. the hell is wrong with me? He couldn't let this happen. Not now. Not when everything felt like it was unraveling so easily.

What is wrong with me!?

He shook his head, trying to calm the racing thoughts. But everything about her was driving him wild.

Vulnerability, the way she refused to look at him, the way he could practically taste the tension in the air.

It was a mess.

Ethan let out a long sigh, his eyes still on her departing figure, trying to gauge what was going on in her mind. But it wasn’t just her. He knew she felt it too, even if she wasn’t saying it.

It was a game now, one he wasn’t sure if he could keep playing.

Ethan took another deep breath, trying to ground himself, but his body felt like it was on fire..

He shook his head, a frustrated chuckle escaping his lips, though it was barely audible. "Nina.."

“You’re gonna be the death of me,” he muttered under his breath, his voice hoarse, barely controlled.

It wasn’t a joke. He couldn’t even tell if he was angry or desperate anymore. Every instinct inside him screamed to pull back, to put distance between them, but the magnetic pull of her presence made it impossible.

He cursed softly under his breath. I can’t do this. Not like this.

And for the first time in a long while, Ethan didn’t know what to do next.