Crossing the line

7: The Edge Of Something Dangerous

AVA

The sun had begun to dip below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the yard. Most of the partygoers had settled into comfortable conversations, their laughter and chatter filling the air as the smell of burgers wafted through the space. Ava sat at a small table near the fire pit, staring into the flames as her mind raced.

Jake had barely looked at her since their conversation, choosing instead to help Liam man the grill and joke around with some of the guys. But she could feel him. Every time he moved, every time he laughed, she felt it-like a tether that kept pulling her attention back to him, no matter how much she tried to focus elsewhere.

She shouldn't be thinking about him like this. It was reckless. Jake was off-limits, and getting involved with him could ruin everything-her friendship with Liam, her peace of mind, her carefully constructed life. And yet... she couldn't stop.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone pulling up a chair beside her. She looked up to see Drew again, a slightly sheepish grin on his face.

"Mind if I join you?"

Ava hesitated, then nodded. "Sure."

He sat down, sipping his beer as he glanced around at the gathering. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier," he said after a moment, his voice genuine. "Didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Ava softened a little. Drew wasn't a bad guy-just clueless. "It's fine. No harm done."

Drew smiled, his shoulders relaxing. "Glad to hear it. You know, I always thought you were different from the other girls in our class. You've got something special about you, Ava."

Before she could respond, the sound of a bottle clinking against the table drew her attention. Jake stood there, his expression unreadable, but his eyes locked on Drew like he was about two seconds away from throwing a punch.

"You mind if I cut in, Drew?" Jake asked, his voice deceptively calm.

Drew frowned, clearly annoyed. "We're just talking, Jake."

see that," Jake said, his jaw tight. "But I think you've talked enough for one day."

Drew's annoyance was palpable, but he wasn't stupid. He knew when he was outmatched. With a final, irritated glance at Jake, he stood up, finishing off his beer. "Fine. Whatever, man. I'll catch you later, Ava."

Ava watched Drew leave, her nerves on edge as Jake sat down in the chair Drew had just vacated. The tension between them was thick, and the firelight reflected in Jake's eyes made him look even more intense than usual.

"You didn't have to do that," Ava said, her voice quieter than she intended.

Jake leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he looked at her. "Yeah, I did."

"Jake," she started, but the words faltered on her lips. She didn't know what to say. There was a storm building between them, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for what would happen when it broke.

"You can't tell me you didn't feel how sleazy that was," Jake said, his voice low. His eyes never left hers. "Drew wasn't just trying to talk. He was trying to get something from you, and you don't owe him a damn thing."

Ava pressed her lips together, her heart racing. "I'm not some damsel in distress, Jake. I could've handled it."

He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. "I know you could've. But I'm not going to sit back and watch someone hit on you like that, especially when-"

"When what?" Ava challenged, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "When you're standing right there? What difference does it make? You can't just swoop in and act like you have a claim on me, Jake. That's not how this works."

Jake's eyes darkened, his gaze unwavering. "I don't think I have a claim on you. But I sure as hell feel something for you, Ava, and watching some guy-especially a guy like Drew-think he can just waltz in and make you uncomfortable drives me insane. You know how I feel about you."

Ava's breath caught in her throat, her pulse quickening. This was the conversation they had been circling for days, maybe even years. The moment where everything could either fall apart or come together in a way she wasn't sure she could handle.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice soft but shaky. "Why now?"

Jake leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving hers. He was quiet for a moment, as if he were gathering his thoughts. "Because I've been holding back for too long. I told myself I wouldn't cross that line. I convinced myself it was wrong to want you. But I can't keep pretending, Ava."

Her heart raced, her mind spinning as his words sank in. This was real. Jake wanted her. Not as Liam's little sister, not as some childhood friend-but as something more.

"You've got to understand," Jake continued, his voice rough with emotion. "It's not just about wanting you. It's about how I feel when I'm with you. I see you, Ava. The real you. And I want to be the one who gets to know all of it-the good, the bad, the complicated. I can't stand the thought of you being with someone who doesn't get that."

Ava's chest tightened, her emotions swirling in a mess of confusion and desire. This was everything she had secretly wanted, everything she had tried to convince herself she shouldn't want. And now, here it was, laid out in front of her by the one person she could never truly shake.

"Jake, I don't know if this is a good idea," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Jake's expression softened, but his eyes still burned with intensity. "Maybe it's not. But what if it is?"

Ava looked away, staring into the fire as the weight of the moment pressed down on her. She felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, unsure of whether she should jump or turn back. And the worst part was, she didn't know which option scared her more.

Jake reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. The simple touch sent a shiver down her spine, and when she looked up at him, she saw nothing but sincerity in his eyes.

"I'm not asking for answers right now," Jake said quietly. "I'm just asking you to think about it. About us."

Us.

The word hung in the air between them, heavy with possibility. It was a word that could change everything, for better or for worse.

Ava swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to think. All she knew was that her world was tilting on its axis, and Jake was at the center of it.

"Okay," she whispered, barely trusting her voice. "I'll think about it."

Jake's gaze softened, and for the first time that evening, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "That's all I'm asking for."

They sat in silence for a few moments, the crackle of the fire filling the space between them. Despite the chaos in her mind, there was something comforting about Jake's presence, something that made her feel less alone in the uncertainty.

As the evening wore on and the party began to wind down, Jake stood up, offering her a hand. "Come on. Let's get you inside."

Ava hesitated for a moment before taking his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. His grip was strong and steady, and as they walked back toward the house together, she couldn't help but feel like something had shifted.

The question was, whether it was a shift toward something she could handle, or something that would unravel everything.

Only time would tell.