In for the win

Chapter 26

ETHAN

I knock insistently on her door.
KNOCK
I'm gonna tell her. She has the right to know. She deserves to know how I feel about her. But. What if she doesn't feel that way? Doesn't matter. I'm telling her.
KNOCK
But what do I do? I'm going to completely upset her.
KNOCK
No, I'm definitely telling her. This thump in my heart has been torturing me since Friday, and I couldn't possibly go as if everything was norma.
I hear movement inside the apartment. Okay, too late to back off no Ethan.
I wait as I hear the lock turning twice. I can feel my heart pounding against my chest, threatening to break my ribs with every beat. Heart please stop beating that hard so that I can actually hear myself think? I see as the door opens slowly in front of me. Despite the low light, I manage to make out her small silhouette, her large emerald eyes staring straight at me intensely. I stare at her speechless, finding no way to start the conversation. She suddenly decides to speak, breaking the silence between us. "E-Ethan?" "Wh-what are you doing here?" she mutters, under her breath. The beating of my heart that was so strong before has now disappeared, suggesting that my heart has simply stopped. Same goes for my lungs. I have difficulty breathing . Since when did the air here become so heavy, are we in the desert or what? She looks up and down at me, an insistent look spread across her face. "Ethan? Did you hear me?" she repeats. Come on brain, don't let me down now! I pluck up the courage and inhale deeply. "Uhm. Hi. Again. I wanted to talk to you." "Uhm, okay. Do you want to come inside?" Amara asks. "Yeah sure."

-

"Do you want some tea?" Amara asks awkwardly, avoiding eye contact. I chuckle. "Since when am I British Preston. I don't like tea?" "I don't know, I was wondering." There is a little silence reigning in her kitchen. Amara fidgets with her rings on her fingers. She looks back up at me. "What are you here for Ethan?" Okay, my time to shine now. "I guess, I wanted to talk to you about something. Something important." "Uhm, alright. Go on." "I-I. Shit how do I say this?" I stutter. "Ethan. Come on, you're starting to freak me out." I swallow once, then a twice. Why the fuck won't my brain cooperate? "Ethan, listen. I've had a busy weekend and am really tired. Why don't we talk tomorrow?" She's about to walk away when I catch up with her, grabbing her by her arm. "Fuck I can't do this. I can't go on pretending like there's nothing between us." I let out in
a breath." "What what is happen-" I don't let her finish. "Come on. You can't tell me that this weekend wasn't weird between us. For goodness sake I met your parents Amara. That's not nothing. We went together." "We went as friends?" "Please, do you really believe that. Look into my eyes, and tell me we went as friends." "What?" "Say it. I want to hear you say it." "We went as friends?" "You're lying. Your mouth twitched. Your mouth always twitches when you lie." "It doesn't- how the hell do you know that?" "Because I know that. I know you. I don't want to go on pretending that we're just friends, because it's simply not true." "What are you trying to say?" Amara inquires. "God you know what I mean." "I don't actually." "Amara. You're amazing. It's been such a long time since I felt something like that for someone. You're not like the other girls I use to see, a quick fuck and then I wouldn't call them. You're different. You make me feel different." I exhale heavily while waiting for her response. "Ethan? Are you asking me to break rule number 1?" "Maybe. I don't know, okay?" I sketch out a small smile. "Ethan, do you have feelings for me?" She slowly asks. Fuck. "Amara, I've been spending most of my time with you, or when I'm not with you, I think about you, I worry about you. There are even times when I think about skipping practice, just so I can fit to your schedule. I never skipped one training in my life, even when I had smallpox. You made me want to skip practise, so I could just spend time with you. You-"I talk so fast that I don't have time to breathe. "Ethan, shut up." I don't even have time to talk back when she smashes her lips on top of mine. The kiss is heated, demanding, and I let out a small gruff when she nibbles on my lower lip. We part for a half second, allowing me to whisper in her ear. "God, you don't know how much I've waited for this. All weekend. All fucking weekend." It's my turn to take control now. I push her against the wall, blocking any possible movement and lock my eyes into hers. "You don't know what you do to me Amara." I rasp, feeling her shiver under my finger. She's not cold, her skin is warm under my touch. I made her shiver. I teasingly start to kiss her neck, little moans escaping her throat with difficulty. I can hear her staggered breath in my ears, echoing. I slowly drag my fingers down her back, my mouth still kissing her neck. She shivers again. I grab her jaw in my left hand, and bring her closer to my face. Her mouth is millimetres away and I'm difficultily resisting the urge in me to kiss her. "Do you have feelings for me Amara?" I whisper in her ear. She looks up at me, and I can feel the tension between our touching bodies. "No." I pull her neck towards me and crash my lips against hers, my tongue exploring every spot in her throat. I stop, my eyes still plunged into hers and one hand holding her body still by the neck, blocking her against the wall with my body. I trail down her chest with my remaining hand. "You lied. Your mouth twitched. Do I have to kiss you infinitely to get the truth out of you, because trust me I wouldn't mind." I wrap my hand around her jaw, forcing her to look straight at me. "Let's try this again Preston. One last time. Do you have feelings for me?" The room is filled with silence, apart for the sound of our raspy breaths breaking it. I pull her closer to me, her nose touching mine. There's so much tension it's impossibly bearable. "I'm growing impatient Amara." I whisper again, nibbling on her upper lip. I'm about to pull her closer to me when she breaks the silence. "Fuck yes." She lets out as a moan escapes her mouth. I tighten my grip on her neck as I place my face closer to her mouth. "I want to hear you say it." She takes a breath for air, as she places her hands on my torso, as I let out an unexpected gruff. She place her mouth near my ear. "I have feelings for you." She sighs in the sexiest voice I have ever heard. "Good, because there are no words to describe how turned on you make me." I look at her lust-filled eyes as our mouth meet again in a demanding kiss, our hands desperately seeking comfort in each other. I never thought I'd say that, but damn, I'm starting to fall for her, and that fall is crazily hard.