Rejection

Meliza's POV

"Thank you for today," I said as he drove away from the resort.

"It's nothing. Thank you for not standing me up," he replied, a soft smile playing on his lips. I half-laughed, feeling a warmth spread through me.

"Are you sure you're okay to drive? You must be exhausted from swimming," I asked, concerned.

"When I'm with you, I feel so alive, Meliza. I haven't felt this way with anyone," he responded, his voice sincere. He took a deep breath before he added.

"I know this is our first date, and I've been upfront about what I want. But I can't let this day end without telling you how I feel... I like you, Meliza. A lot."

His eyes softened, and he leaned closer before I could say anything. "Meliza, would you be my girlfriend?"

I was taken aback by his confession, completely caught off guard. I never expected him to court me in such a traditional yet sincere way.

Most guys would kiss the girl first or at least do something to build up to asking her to be their girlfriend. Ethan surprised me in a way I didn't expect.

"You don't have to answer me right away," he said softly. "But I'd love to take you on another date tomorrow."

I stretched my limbs, gathering my thoughts before meeting his gaze.

"Ethan," I began, my voice steady but my heart heavy, "I really enjoyed today. But... I'm sorry. This is our first and last date. I can't go on dates with you."

His face fell instantly, his eyes darkening as he looked at me, silent. The weight of the moment hung in the air, and I could feel the disappointment in every inch of him, but I couldn't take it back.

"But why?" He finally broke the silence, his voice low. "You can't deny it, Iza. The chemistry between us is undeniable."

"I don't date," I replied, keeping my tone as steady as I could.

I couldn't bring myself to tell him that my mother was one of the reasons. I didn't want to complicate my stay at the farmhouse or jeopardize my work, especially with the girls who had been bullying and harassing me ever since they found out Vince liked me. And now, with Ethan, the new heartthrob of the farm they'd been fantasizing about, it would only make things worse.

"Don't you like me?" he asked, his voice softer now. I gripped the edge of my seat, steadying myself before I nodded, barely able to meet his eyes.

"Then say it," he pressed, his words cutting through the silence. "Say you don't like me."

I drew in a deep breath, forcing myself to hold his gaze. "I don't need to say it, Ethan. You begged me to go on a date with you. I told you from the start—I don't like you." My voice hardened, the words spilling out sharper than I intended.

"Don't be so entitled. Just because you're handsome doesn't mean I'll fall for you. I'm not like those other girls, Ethan."

His face fell, disappointment darkening his features, but I didn't waver. I couldn't.

Ethan gripped the steering wheel tighter, his silence weighing heavy in the air. Then, without warning, he slammed his foot on the accelerator. The car lurched forward, and a scream ripped from my throat.

""Ethan, slow down! Stop! Please, stop!" I begged, my voice trembling with fear. But he didn't even blink, his jaw tight and his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel.

He kept his eyes locked on the road ahead, unmoved by my pleas. The car surged forward, faster and faster, each second stretching into an eternity as panic clawed at my chest.

The calm beauty of the evening dissolved into a blur of lights and shadows as the car sped faster and faster. My fear tightened around me like a vice, every sharp turn and lurch of the vehicle sending my heart racing. It was as if the world outside had vanished, swallowed by the growing panic that consumed me.

I held my breath, my eyes squeezed shut as I whispered a prayer. I didn't even realize tears were streaming down my cheeks until I felt their warmth. Suddenly, the car began to slow, the tension in the air easing just slightly. When I opened my eyes, Ethan had pulled over to the side of the road.

"I'm so sorry, Iza," he said softly, his voice filled with regret. He reached for my hands, his fingers warm as they gently rubbed my cold, trembling ones. "I was such a jerk. I didn't mean to scare you."

He hesitated, his eyes searching mine. "I would never put your life in danger. I promise I know how to drive fast—it was nothing."

But my body betrayed me. I was still shaking as I tried to calm the storm of fear his recklessness had caused.

"Just take me home," I murmured, my voice barely audible as my body trembled uncontrollably.

Instead of answering, he leaned closer and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a tight embrace.

"Please, Iza," he whispered, his voice thick with desperation. "Scream at me. Be mad at me. Be angry with me."

I wanted to pull away and put as much distance as possible between us. But he was so close that I could feel the heat of his body and hear the rapid, thunderous beating of his heart—so in sync with my own.

His intoxicating scent clouded my thoughts, overwhelming me, and I fought to hold back the tears threatening to spill over again. My resolve wavered, but I clung to it, unwilling to let him see how broken I felt at that moment.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice heavy with guilt. "I couldn't handle the rejection. I overreacted without thinking about how you feel. I didn't consider your feelings at all."

He paused, his gaze dropping as if he couldn't bear to meet my eyes. "I thought I had everything under control, but I was wrong. I misread your actions. If you don't like me, I'll stay away from you, " he added.

Ethan's arms loosened around me, and he slowly let me go. "I just hope you can forgive me," he mumbled softly, his voice barely loud as he turned away.

He started the car, the hum of the engine breaking the silence. I sat still, staring out the window, my heart heavy with emotions I couldn't yet name. The tension lingered between us, and I chose to remain silent the entire ride back to the farmhouse.

It was an excellent date, but I ruined it by rejecting him. I can't blame him if he's angry with me, though I know he's irresponsible. He's the kind of person who could put our lives in danger, and that scares me.

From a distance, I could see the farmhouse. It stood tall and beautiful, but its allure didn't lift my mood this time; it only made the silence heavier.

I flung open the car door and slammed it shut behind me, not bothering to glance back. I didn't want to wait for Ethan, and I didn't want him to follow me with his questions, and it looked like I couldn't bear to face him.

My feet hit the ground with a relentless rhythm, each step carrying me farther from him, from the chaos of my emotions. The house loomed ahead, but nothing about it felt familiar anymore. Everything around me had turned foreign, as though the walls were closing in, suffocating me.

I didn't slow down. I raced up the stairs, my legs burning as I took them two at a time, desperate to escape—to outrun the thoughts that were chasing me and the guilt that kept gnawing at me.

I reached my room, shoved the door open with shaking hands, and stepped inside. The musty scent of dust and old wood filled the air, but it didn't offer the comfort I needed. Nothing could calm the frantic beat of my heart.

Locking the door behind me, I collapsed onto the bed. The room felt smaller, yet it couldn't contain all the chaos inside me. I had no idea what I was doing, only that I was lost. More lost than ever before.

How could I admit to Ethan that I'd never truly healed from the trauma I'd experienced? How could I explain that, at ten years old, I lost my grandparents in a car crash? That I was with them and the only one who survived? The memory was seared into my mind, playing on an endless loop.

It took so much effort to even sit in a car after the accident until junior high school. The thought of it made my heart race and my hands tremble. I wasn't sure I'd ever feel safe again.

I couldn't talk to my mom about it. I knew how much she had already suffered. Losing her parents—the people who had always been there for her, especially after my father left us—had broken her in ways I couldn't even begin to understand. I couldn't pile my pain on top of hers. She was already carrying so much.

That's why I was so grateful to Ruby. She never once judged me for the fear I couldn't control. Every day, she encouraged me to take small steps to face my fear head-on, even when I wanted to run from it. Ruby understood me in a way no one else did. And I wasn't sure what I'd do without her support.

What happened earlier with Ethan brought it all flooding back, including the accident, the crash, and the chaos. The familiar fear and helplessness surged through me, uninvited and impossible to ignore.

How could Ethan make me feel so drawn to and repelled by him all at once? One moment, he made me laugh and feel seen as if I could trust him with parts of me I hadn't shared with anyone in years. But then, in the blink of an eye, something would shift.

His recklessness and inability to consider the consequences of his actions left me furious and terrified. It was as if he could light a fire in me and burn me all at once and make me realize I couldn't be his girlfriend.