I wasn't supposed to be there.
Not in his car.
Not that late at night.
And definitely not looking at him the way I was.
He was my ex's best friend. That alone should have been enough to keep my heart in check. But hearts don't follow rules especially broken ones.
The first sign I was in trouble wasn't the way he looked at me.
It was the way I felt safe.
Safe wasn't supposed to feel warm.
It wasn't supposed to make my stomach flutter.
It wasn't supposed to make me forget who he used to belong to.
But it did.
My seatbelt got stuck, and I was too focused on untangling it to notice how close he had gotten. One second I was struggling with the buckle the next, his arm reached over me.
"I've got it," he murmured.
I didn't realize how close he was until I turned my head.
Our faces nearly collided.
His breath brushed against my lips. His ocean-blue eyes locked onto mine like he was searching for something. My throat went dry. I wanted to swallow, but I was sure he would hear how loud my heart was beating.
He shifted slightly, but his body was still so close. Even when he moved his face away, I could see the sharp line of his jaw, the curve of his lips.
He was so damn cute.
"I'm done," he said, his deep voice low and smooth.
The sound of it sent chills straight down my spine.
He tried to pull away but his shirt button caught in my hair.
And just like that, fate gave me another excuse to stare at him.
I don't know what came over me.
Maybe it was the tension.
Maybe it was the silence.
Maybe it was everything I'd been trying to suppress for months.
Before I could think, I brushed my lips against his.
The second I realized what I'd done, I pulled back.
Oh God.
What did I just do?
Heat rushed to my cheeks. I lowered my head, too embarrassed to see his reaction. I reached for the car door, fumbling with the handle, desperate to escape.
Locked.
Of course it was locked.
Then I felt his fingers gently slip under my chin, lifting my face.
My eyes struggled to meet his. My cheeks burned. I couldn't breathe properly.
And then his lips were on mine.
This time, there was no hesitation.
My eyes widened in shock before slowly fluttering closed. What started as a soft brush deepened slow, deliberate.
His lips moved against mine with confidence, teaching, guiding. I tried to keep up, but he made me feel inexperienced… like it was my first kiss all over again.
When he finally pulled back, his forehead nearly touching mine, he gave me the faintest smirk.
"That," he said softly, "is how you kiss properly. Not what you did earlier."
My mind spiraled.
Did that mean he felt something too?
Was he carried away?
Was he just responding because I started it?
I wanted to ask him the only question that mattered.
Do you love me?
But instead, what came out was
"Please… the car door."
Smooth. Very smooth.
I stared at my shoes, biting my lower lip, twisting my fingers together.
"Can we—"
"Please just open it," I whispered, barely audible.
After a second that felt like forever, I heard the click.
I didn't wait. I pushed the door open and rushed out, running straight into my house without looking back.
Once inside, I crept toward the window and peeked through the curtains.
He was still there.
Sitting in his car.
As if he was thinking too.
Minutes later, his headlights flickered on, and I watched as he drove off into the darkness.
"What are you staring at?"
I nearly jumped out of my skin at my sister's voice behind me.
"Jeez!" I gasped, clutching my chest. "Can you at least make some noise when you walk?"
She just raised an eyebrow as I brushed past her and hurried to my room.
The second the door shut behind me, I collapsed onto my bed like a lifeless log.
My fingers touched my lips unconsciously.
And every second of what had just happened replayed in my mind.
I wasn't supposed to be there.
But now?
I wasn't sure I wanted to be anywhere else.
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She wasn't supposed to be here.
And yet, the second she stepped into my car, I couldn't imagine her anywhere else.
Not this late at night.
Not when every second with her felt like it could burn me alive.
She looked at me like she wanted to crash into me, like she wanted to rewrite all the rules I'd lived by.
Off-limits. Dangerous. Tempting. And I wanted her anyway.
I hated that I felt this way. I hated that I wanted to lean in closer, touch her more, see the flush in her cheeks. She was my best friend's ex. And yet, here I was, heart thudding against my ribs like it wanted out.
Her seatbelt got stuck, and I wanted to reach over, to help her, but every brush of her hair made my pulse jump.
When I said, "I've got it," I barely noticed the words leaving my mouth. I was staring at her lips, memorizing the curve, the softness, the warmth I wanted to feel again.
Our faces nearly collided, and for a heartbeat, I thought the world had stopped. I could feel her breath, hear her pulse.
She froze. And just like that, I knew. I knew she felt it too. The pull between us. The weight of months of stolen glances, accidental touches, quiet laughter.
I wanted to pull back, to respect the invisible line. But every instinct in me screamed to stay. To lean in closer. To kiss her.
Even when I tried to pull away, her hair caught on my shirt button. And my chest jumped. Fate had just given me an excuse to stay close, just a little longer.
Then she kissed me.
I froze. Shock. Surprise. And then warmth. Heat spreading like wildfire through my veins.
She kissed me. I didn't move at first. I wanted to memorize the way her lips felt. And then, carefully, I brushed my lips against hers again, deeper this time. Tentative at first, then with certainty.
When I whispered, "This is how you kiss properly," I smirked because I knew she was flustered. I wanted her to see that I had wanted this too.
I wanted to laugh softly, but I kept my composure. She was adorable. Vulnerable. And fiercely human.
She turned away, fumbling with the door, cheeks flushed, hair messy from the button incident.
I wanted to hold her, to tell her it was okay. Instead, I waited, letting her catch her breath. Letting her know she had a choice. Always a choice.
I didn't move until her headlights flickered away into the darkness.
And even then, my heart refused to calm down. I drove off too, thinking about her smile, her lips, and how impossible it was to let her go.
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