BETWEEN DESIRE AND DUTY

The silence between Ethan, Daniel, and me was an invisible battlefield, each of them refusing to back down. My fingers trembled slightly as I pulled my hand from Daniel's grasp, my heart a chaotic mess of emotions.

"Ethan, not here," I whispered, my voice laced with an urgency even I couldn't understand.

He exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening as he looked between me and Daniel. "Then where, Hazel? Because I'm done watching you pretend like this-like we-don't mean anything."

Daniel leaned back in his seat, his confidence unwavering. "You seem awfully possessive, Ethan. Maybe Hazel just needs space to think."

Ethan scoffed, running a hand through his dark hair. "Yeah? And maybe you need to realize that she's not a prize to be won."

My breath caught in my throat as their words wrapped around me, suffocating in their intensity. Daniel reached for his drink, his eyes never leaving mine. "So, Hazel," he said smoothly, "are you staying or going?"

Ethan's hand found mine under the table, his touch firm and pleading. "Come with me," he murmured, his voice sending shivers down my spine.

I looked between them, two different futures staring back at me. One safe, one electrifying. I knew my answer before I even spoke it.

"I need to step outside," I whispered, standing quickly, my pulse racing.

As I moved toward the terrace, I could feel Ethan following close behind. The moment the night air hit my skin, I spun to face him, but before I could speak, he cupped my face and crashed his lips against mine.

The kiss was desperate, demanding, filled with every unspoken word between us. I melted into him, my hands tangling in his hair as he pressed me against the cold railing. The world blurred, my mind drowning in the sheer force of him.

"You're mine, Hazel," he breathed against my lips, his forehead resting against mine. "Say it."

I swallowed, my body betraying me as I whispered, "I don't know what to do."

Ethan's grip tightened on my waist, his eyes dark with determination. "Then let me show you."

As he trailed kisses down my neck, a shudder rippled through me. But just as I was about to give in completely, the terrace doors swung open.

Daniel stood there, his eyes filled with something I couldn't quite decipher.

"Hazel," he said firmly. "We need to talk. Alone."

My heart twisted violently as I stood between them, knowing that no matter what I chose, someone would walk away broken.