I went back upstairs after breakfast, still trying to shake off the frustration from earlier. The image of her in the bathroom, the way she looked... it had gotten under my skin, more than I wanted to admit. I wasn't sure what I was doing or why I was heading back toward her room. I wasn't thinking straight.
As I approached the bathroom again, I noticed the door was slightly open. Without even realizing what I was doing, I reached out and pushed it closed. The soft click of the door shutting seemed too loud in the quiet hallway.
Before I could step away, the door swung back open. Ella stood there, her eyes narrowed, catching me off guard. I flinched, regretting immediately that I'd touched the door at all.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice sharp, cutting through the silence.
My eyes dropped before I could help myself. She was standing there in a red lace bra, her arms crossed over her chest, which only seemed to push everything up further, making it harder for me to focus. I swallowed hard, trying to keep my thoughts from spiraling.
"Why are you dressed like that?" I asked, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. It wasn't my business, and I knew it, but the tension in the air was thick, and something in me had to know.
"None of your business," she shot back, her voice defiant, as she shifted her weight slightly. Her arms tightened over her chest, causing the lace to press against her skin even more, and I found my eyes lingering a second too long.
She caught my gaze, and I quickly turned away, my hand brushing over my face as I tried to collect myself. *What the hell am I doing?*
But something pulled at me, something stronger than the frustration, stronger than the years of rivalry. The heat between us had been building for so long, and now it felt like it was reaching its breaking point.
Before I knew what I was doing, I stepped toward her, my hand resting on the doorframe. "You're not going anywhere dressed like that," I said, my voice low, but instead of being harsh, it came out softer than I expected.
Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn't back away. Instead, she held her ground, her chin lifting in defiance. "Who says I'm going anywhere?" she replied, her voice tight, but there was something else behind it, something that made my pulse quicken.
I hesitated, standing there, the weight of my words hanging in the air. I reached behind her, my hand brushing the back of her neck, just above the zipper of her bra. I stopped, my breath catching in my throat. "You should put something else on," I said, my voice more a suggestion than a command.
Her eyes locked with mine, a flicker of something unspoken passing between us.
But then I let my hand drop, stepping back. The heat was too much, the tension too raw, and I knew if I stayed any longer, I'd cross a line I wasn't sure either of us were ready for.
I turned and walked out, my heart racing, the image of her standing there, red lace and all, burned into my mind.
YOU ARE READING
The hate between us
RomanceElla and Caleb have spent their entire lives in a complicated relationship, caught between rivalry and unspoken feelings. Growing up as step-siblings, their bond has always been one of friction, but as they reach their twenties, the line between hat...
