Almost Caught

Secrets are weighty.

They weigh more the more you keep.

And as right now? Mine were killing me.

I reminded myself I could manage this. the minutes taken from theft. The conflict burning like live wire between us. Constant push and pull of whatever the hell was occurring between Ethan Carter and me.

But I was beginning to understand something.

Secrets are something to be revealed.

And mine would fall sooner or later.

The day began as usual enough.

Tessa and I had scheduled an early afternoon study session at her house, then a movie night and our typical junk food splurge.

An interruption. a desperately needed respite from everything.

Naturally, though, Ethan had to destroy it.

He was there when I came through Tessa's apartment's front door.

Leaning at the kitchen counter, he drank coffee unlike he had almost kissed me last night.

My breath caught.

We locked gaze.

And the planet shrank down to him exactly like that.

I compelled myself to turn aside. To go about daily life.

Tessa was looking through the refrigerator, not aware of the storm burning inside me.

She removed a carton of orange juice. "Want some?"

"Uh, yeah," I said.

Ethan was still staring at me.

I felt it—the weight of his stare.

Tessa turned and gave Ethan a jab of her arm. "What are you doing here?"

Ethan inhaled slowly at his coffee. "Just needed to pick some items.".

A falsehood.

I realized it.

And he knew I knew too, based on the way his eye flicked toward me.

Tessa dragged her laptop out and slumped on the couch.

"Liv, reach for the chips from the cupboard?

Surely.

I headed straight into the kitchen. Ethan moved also.

We bumped into each other.

My hands braced against his chest, his fingers automatically grasping my waist, my breath stopped.

We froze.

There was simply heat for a moment.

Then footsteps.

Tessa's voice approaches.

Liv, you found them?

A panic shot tore across me.

Ethan acted quickly.

His hands went from me. Just as Tessa entered, he retreated, reached for a hapless bag from the counter and threw it to me.

I hardly caught it in time.

T Tess scowled. That's pretzels.

Ethan grinned. She was starting to feel adventurous.

I shot him a nasty look.

Tessa shrug and turned back into the living room.

The second she disappeared; I breathed.

Ethan leaned forward with a quiet voice.

"You're starting to get sloppy, Carter."

I drew back. "You're impossible."

His grin grew wider. And yet you keep ending up right here with me.

I wished I could strangle him.

Rather, I took the chips, the real ones this time, and ran.

Tessa stretched and moaned two hours into our study session.

"ugh." I have to stop.

I grinned. "We barely began."

"Exactly my point."

She started to smile and got up. "I need caffeine." Be correct once more.

Second she disappeared; I grabbed my phone and typed one word.

Me: Troublemaker.

Ethan's phone hummed across the room.

He looks down. Graced.

Then he responded by text.

Ethan: Miss me?

I let my eyes roll back.

Me: Not even a small amount.

Ethan's head slanted, his eyes darting to mine across the space.

Liar, Ethan.

I ignored it.

Knowing he was right motivated me.

Fifteen minutes later Tessa still was in the kitchen.

And I had made a mistake.

A careless, dumb error.

I had trailed Ethan into the hall.

It wasn't meant to be done. That happened naturally.

I was still in the living room two seconds later.

I was next squeezed against the wall, Ethan's hand braced close to my head.

His gaze fixed on me. "This is getting harder to cover."

My pulse hesitated. Maybe then we ought to stop.

He blew out through his nose. You do not mean that.

I started to swallow. Ethan—"

His fingertips went over my wrist. His fingers passed across my pulse.

That was careless. Lethal.

And therefore, so addictive.

A voice then.

"Tess?"

I stopped cold.

Ethan's jaw set motion.

Tessa wasn't it?

That was dad.

Ethan addressed first.

Just as footsteps turned the bend, he grabbed my wrist and dragged me down the hall.

My throat held my breath captive.

We hardly arrived in the laundry room before the front door opened.

Bodies pressed against the wall, waiting; we stood silently.

Still on me was Ethan's hand. His fingers flexed as though he wanted not to let go.

I hardly heard Tessa's voice register.

"Dad! You didn't say you were coming by."

The walls rumbled with the words of her father. "Just dropping something off. Where is your brother?"

Ethan seemed rigid.

Tessa grumbled. "I think he left?"

Her dad gave a grumble. "Alright. I won't stay long.".

We froze till the front door closed once again.

Ethan let out a cough. "That was close."

I looked up at him, my heart still hammering.

"Too close."

His eyes grew black. "Are you, alright?"

I nodded.

But the truth?

I didn't know anymore.

Five minutes later I headed out of Tessa's place.

Ethan trailed in line.

Outside we stood, the cool night air encircling us.

I came to him. "This cannot be allowed to continue."

He tightened his jaw. "I understand."

"But it's going to anyway, isn't it?"

Ethan stared straight forward into my life.

"I have no idea where I should stop."

Furthermore, for the first time I understood—Neither did I.

Getting harder to hide is Liv and Ethan's secret.

Things are swirling; they almost got caught.

Both of them agree they have no idea how to stop.

The effects start to catch up.