Faking It For Real ✔

Ch 26

Ethan froze.

But it only took a second for him to respond, his arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me closer, deepening the kiss as our bodies pressed together.

It was a kiss filled with anger, hurt, and a raw longing that neither of us could deny.

It was raw, primal, and unapologetically intense.

The world around us melted away, leaving only the two of us.

Our hands roamed, pulling each other closer as if trying to erase any space that remained between us.

But as quickly as the kiss began, it ended.

As we finally broke apart, gasping for breath, the reality of our situation came crashing back down.

We stared at each other, our eyes wide with a mix of shock and lingering desire.

I whispered, "I-I don't know why I did that," I stammered, feeling my cheeks burn with a mixture of embarrassment and confusion.

Ethan's gaze softened, his hand reaching up to cup my cheek gently. "Ava," he whispered, his voice husky with emotion, "I think we both know why that happened."

"We can't just pretend that everything is okay."

"Is it not?"

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. "Ethan, you lied to me. You manipulated me-"

"No, I didn't." He said, "Will you ever hear me out?"

I blinked, taken aback by his abrupt denial. "What do you mean you didn't manipulate me? You made a deal with Bella-"

"I did make a deal with Bella," Ethan admitted, his voice firm yet laced with regret. "But not for the reasons you think."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Ethan took a deep breath, as if steeling himself for a difficult confession. "I made the deal with Bella because she threatened to reveal the truth about my family."

I blinked, taken aback by his words, "What secret?"

Ethan hesitated, pain etched on his face, before he continued, "The truth about my father."

I frowned.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly before meeting my gaze. "My father... He has a gambling problem and has gotten our family into serious financial trouble. He's been borrowing money from dangerous people and has even resorted to illegal activities to pay off his debts."

I gasped, my eyes widening.

"My mom left my dad a couple of months ago." He admitted, looking away at the shore of the sea, "Bella's mother is a close friend of my mom. When Bella found out about this, she wanted to take advantage of it."

Ethan continued, "and she threatened to expose him if I didn't agree to the deal. She knew that the scandal would ruin my family, and I couldn't let that happen."

My heart ached for him, for the pain and pressure he had been under, all while trying to protect his family.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

He gave me a sad smile. "I wanted to, Ava, so many times. But I was afraid that if you knew the truth, you'd be pulled into the mess my family is in."

I looked into his eyes, my heart swelling with a mix of emotions. I couldn't imagine the weight of the burden he had been carrying.

"Ethan," I said softly, reaching up to cup his face in my hands, "I wish you had trusted me enough to tell me the truth. But I understand why you didn't. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for you to carry this alone."