Falling For The Forbidden

CHAPTER 10

Ryan's POV

Ryan leaned back in his chair, staring at the message he'd sent Olivia, his phone lying untouched on the desk. No reply.

She was avoiding him—again.

He sighed, rubbing his temple as the familiar frustration bubbled up inside him. He had tried to be patient, tried to give her space after their last conversation, but it was clear she was doing everything she could to push him away. But she couldn't avoid him forever.

Not after what had happened between them.

Every part of him was on edge, the weight of their last encounter still hanging heavy in the air. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about her—the way her eyes had flashed with both desire and fear when she stood in his apartment, the way her voice had cracked when she admitted that she didn't know what she wanted.

But he knew.

He'd known for a long time.

Olivia was it for him, whether she wanted to admit it or not. And no amount of denial was going to change that. She could push him away, ignore his messages, pretend this wasn't happening, but sooner or later, they would have to face the truth. They couldn't keep running from it.

With a frustrated grunt, Ryan stood up, shoving his phone into his pocket. He wasn't going to sit around waiting for her to come to him. Not this time. If she wouldn't respond, then he'd go to her. They needed to talk, and they needed to do it face-to-face.

He grabbed his keys and headed for the door, his thoughts a swirling mess of emotion as he made his way to his car. Olivia had always been complicated, but lately, it was like she was slipping through his fingers every time he thought they were getting closer. Every step forward was met with two steps back, and it was driving him crazy.

The drive to her apartment was quiet, the hum of the engine the only sound filling the car. Ryan's jaw was clenched tight as he maneuvered through the streets, his mind locked on one thing—Olivia. He needed to see her, to talk to her, to make her understand that this thing between them wasn't something they could just ignore.

By the time he pulled up in front of her building, his pulse was pounding in his ears. He hadn't even planned what he was going to say, but none of that mattered. What mattered was getting her to open the door, to face him. To stop running.

Ryan parked the car and made his way up to her apartment, his hand already balling into a fist as he reached the door. He hesitated for a second, his mind racing with all the things he wanted to say to her, all the things he needed her to understand.

Then, without another thought, he knocked.

There was silence at first. A long, agonizing silence that only fueled his frustration. But then, finally, he heard the faint sound of footsteps on the other side of the door.

Olivia.

When the door opened, she looked surprised to see him. Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and she was wearing a simple, oversized sweater and jeans. Casual. Like she'd been trying to relax, trying to forget everything that had happened.

But the moment their eyes met; Ryan could see the same tension in her that he felt. The same struggle.

"Ryan..." she said, her voice soft, hesitant.

"Olivia." His tone was firm, but not harsh. "We need to talk."

She didn't say anything for a moment, her eyes scanning his face as if she were weighing her options. He could tell she was about to refuse, to tell him that now wasn't the right time, that she needed more space. But he wasn't going to let her shut him out again.