Ayden

3

Ayden

"Are you sure you don't mind me staying at your place?" she asked for what felt like the tenth time, her voice tinged with hesitation.

I bit back my frustration, but it slipped out anyway. "No," I replied, the word coming out sharper than I intended. I instantly regretted it, scolding myself internally.

"okay," she murmured, her small voice like a knife to my chest. Hurting her was the last thing I wanted.

Silence filled the car as I drove to my apartment, a secure building with a doorman and an advanced security system.

After parking, I quickly exited and walked around to open the passenger door for her, extending my hand. To my surprise, she took it without a moment's hesitation.

Her hand in mine felt unfamiliar yet oddly comforting, like a piece of a puzzle finally clicking into place.

What

As we walked to the elevator, the proximity between us heightened my awareness of her presence, making my body tense and my breath catch. I glanced down at her; her grip was firm, and her body was as tense as mine.

Could she feel the same?
No, it's just the stress of the day.

The elevator doors slid open, revealing the foyer of my apartment. I stepped inside first, still holding her hand as I set her bag down on a nearby table.

I hesitated to let go, and she didn't seem eager to pull away either.

"This is the guest room," I said, my voice softer now. "You can stay here, or if you'd feel more comfortable, you can take my room." Our eyes met, and I was surprised by the intensity of the connection.

I never realized eye contact could feel so intimate.

The large apartment, now just the two of us, seemed to shrink, the space between us charged with unspoken tension.

"No, it's fine. This is good" she replied, her voice a murmur as she ran a hand through her hair. Her gaze dropped to our joined hands, and she quickly withdrew hers.

"Sorry about that. I—I'm going to get some sleep now. Thank you for today," she added, offering a small smile that made my heart skip a beat.

I was about to nod when the soft rumble of her stomach interrupted. Leaning casually against the doorframe, I raised an eyebrow. "Hungry, Ayna?"

Her blush deepened, and she stammered out a response, clearly flustered.
It took all my willpower not to smile.

"It's late. I can just eat tomorrow. You must—

"Come on," I said, cutting her off as I took her hand once more and led her to the kitchen.

I just needed an excuse to touch her

I guided her to a stool, making sure she was comfortable before pulling out two packets of ramen from the pantry. Asking her if they were fine to which she nodded

"You can go change while I get this ready," I suggested, glancing over my shoulder to find her staring at me, her eyes lingering on the tattoos that peeked out from under my t-shirt.

"Ayna?" I prompted, crossing my arms and leaning against the counter. Her gaze flicked to my biceps, and I felt a flutter in my stomach.

This is ridiculous.

"Yeah?" she finally replied, her cheeks still tinged with a delicate pink.

"Wanna go change while I finish up here?" I asked, keeping my tone gentle to avoid embarrassing her further.

"Yeah, I'll do that," she said quickly, rising from the stool and practically running to the guest bedroom.

adorable.

A/N
I've actually decided to update this daily, crazzzyy I know
Also Ayna's pov next ;)

Pls vote