Heat

The tension from the previous night still clung to the air like a heavy fog as dawn broke over the forest. The morning light seeped through the cracks in the cabin's walls, casting long shadows across the floor. Inside, the atmosphere was thick with unspoken words and unresolved tension. Sam had left early, saying he needed to scout the area and make sure there was no immediate danger. His departure left an uneasy silence in his wake, a silence that buzzed with the energy of everything that had gone unsaid between James and me.

I sat at the small table, my fingers idly tracing the rough wood as I tried to keep my thoughts from spiraling. It was hard to think clearly with the weight of the past few days pressing down on me, and even harder to focus when James was so close, his presence a constant reminder of the confusion swirling inside me.

James had been quiet since Sam left, his eyes following me as I moved around the cabin, but he hadn't said much. It was as if he was waiting, giving me space to sort through the mess of emotions that had built up between us. But that space only made the tension thicker, the air between us charged with something I couldn't quite name.

Finally, I couldn't take the silence anymore. I looked over at James, who was sitting on the edge of the cot, his elbows resting on his knees as he stared at the floor. "Do you think he'll be gone long?" I asked, my voice breaking the quiet.

James looked up, his dark eyes meeting mine. "Sam? He'll be back soon, I'm sure. He's just being cautious."

I nodded, though his words did little to ease the knot of anxiety in my chest. "I hate this feeling," I admitted, my voice barely more than a whisper. "Not knowing what's going to happen next."

James's gaze softened, and he stood, crossing the small space between us until he was standing just a few feet away. "We're all feeling it," he said, his voice low and gentle. "But we'll get through this, Ella. Together."

There was something in the way he said my name, something that sent a shiver down my spine. I looked up at him, my heart beating a little faster as I saw the concern in his eyes, the way his brow was furrowed with worry. It was the same look he'd given me when we first met, the night that felt like a lifetime ago, when everything had been so simple and easy.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "What if we don't get through this?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady. "What if everything just falls apart?"

James took a step closer, his hand reaching out to gently touch my arm. His fingers were warm, the contact sending a jolt of electricity through me. "Then we pick up the pieces," he said, his voice steady and reassuring. "We take it one step at a time, and we figure it out together."

There was something about the way he said it, the certainty in his voice, that made me want to believe him. For a moment, the fear that had been gnawing at me since Sam left receded, replaced by a warmth that spread through my chest and made it a little easier to breathe.

But that warmth brought with it a new kind of tension, one that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with the way James was looking at me. His hand was still on my arm, his fingers gently tracing circles on my skin, and the sensation was doing strange things to my thoughts.

I could feel the pull between us, the same pull that had been there since the first time we'd met, only now it was stronger, more insistent. It was as if all the barriers I'd put up to keep him at a distance were crumbling, leaving me exposed and vulnerable.

James's eyes flickered to my lips, and I saw the hesitation in his gaze, the question he was silently asking. My heart pounded in my chest, and for a moment, I felt like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, teetering on the brink of something I couldn't fully understand.

And then, without thinking, I closed the distance between us.

The moment our lips met, it was like a dam breaking. All the tension, all the fear and uncertainty that had been building between us, erupted in a rush of emotion that left me breathless. His kiss was soft at first, tentative, as if he was afraid I might pull away. But when I didn't, when I leaned into him and wrapped my arms around his neck, he deepened the kiss, his hands moving to my waist as he pulled me closer.

My mind went blank, all my worries and fears dissolving into the background as I lost myself in the feel of him, the taste of him. His hands roamed over my back, his touch igniting a fire in my veins that burned hotter with every second. I could feel the heat between us, the way our bodies pressed together, and it was like nothing I'd ever experienced before.

James's hands slid up to cup my face, his thumbs brushing against my cheeks as he kissed me with a desperation that matched my own. It was as if we were both drowning, and this was the only way to keep our heads above water. I clung to him, my fingers tangling in his hair as I kissed him back with everything I had.

When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing hard, our foreheads resting against each other as we tried to catch our breath. My heart was racing, my body tingling with the aftershocks of the kiss, and all I could think about was how much I wanted more.

James looked at me, his eyes dark and intense, and I could see the same desire reflected in his gaze. "Ella…" he began, his voice husky with emotion.

But before he could say anything more, I pressed my lips to his again, cutting off whatever he was going to say. I didn't want to talk, didn't want to think. I just wanted to feel.

He responded immediately, his arms tightening around me as he kissed me with a hunger that sent shivers down my spine. I could feel the heat building between us, the tension coiling tighter and tighter until it was almost unbearable. It was like a fire had been lit inside me, and the only way to quench it was to be closer to him, to feel his skin against mine.

Without breaking the kiss, James guided us back to the cot, his hands roaming over my body with a need that matched my own. The world outside the cabin faded away, leaving only the two of us, lost in a moment that felt like it could last forever.

When we finally broke apart again, we were both breathless, our bodies tangled together on the cot. James's hand brushed against my cheek, his touch gentle as he looked down at me with a tenderness that made my heart ache.

"I've wanted this for so long," he murmured, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I've wanted you for so long."

His words sent a thrill through me, and I reached up to touch his face, my fingers tracing the lines of his jaw. "Me too," I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion. "I've wanted this too."

For a moment, we just lay there, holding each other, the silence between us filled with the unspoken promises of what was to come. It was a moment of pure, unadulterated happiness, a moment where everything felt right, where the world outside couldn't touch us.

But as much as I wanted to stay in that moment, I knew it couldn't last. The reality of our situation was still there, lurking in the back of my mind, and I knew that eventually, we would have to face it. But for now, I let myself get lost in the feel of James's arms around me, the warmth of his body pressed against mine.

Eventually, we pulled apart, the heat between us slowly ebbing as we came back to reality. James looked at me, his eyes soft and filled with a kind of wonder that made my heart swell.

"I don't want this to end," he said, his voice low and filled with emotion. "I don't want to lose you."

I shook my head, my heart aching at the thought. "You won't," I promised, though I wasn't sure if I was trying to reassure him or myself. "We'll find a way to make this work. We have to."

He nodded, though I could see the doubt in his eyes. But before either of us could say anything more, the sound of footsteps outside the cabin made us both tense.

Sam was back.

We quickly untangled ourselves, the heat of the moment fading as the reality of our situation came crashing back down. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, not from fear this time, but from the intensity of what had just happened.

James stood up, running a hand through his hair as he tried to compose himself. I did the same, smoothing down my clothes and trying to calm my racing heart. When Sam walked through the door a moment later, I could only hope that he wouldn't notice the tension that still lingered between us.

Sam looked between us, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he could sense that something had changed, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he just nodded at James. "All clear," he said, his voice gruff. "But we need to keep moving. It's not safe to stay here for too long."

what was going to happen next scares me even more...