It felt like something exploded in my head.
Even with the fabric between us, my hand felt
like it was burning, and I wanted to pull away.
I tried to pull my hand back, but he held on
tighter.
The air was thick with tension.
“Ethan, you’ve had too much to drink…”
“Ashley, weren’t you touching me like this.
back then? Why are you running away now?
You didn’t hold back when you were messing
with it eight years ago.”
th bin
handful of
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But his words made it all come flooding back,
filling me with shame.
“Remember now? Your face is burning up.”
I realized Ethan was rubbing his cheek
against mine.
“Ashley, you don’t have a boyfriend, do you?
Someone who has a boyfriend wouldn’t react
like this.” He kissed my lips, slowly teasing
them. “Ashley, let’s finish what you wanted to
do eight years ago.”
In the darkness, his eyes were hypnotic.
They made me want to give in, to comfort
him.
く
749
He scooped me up in his arms.
He tossed me onto the couch in front of the
window.
I melted into him, letting him wrap around me.
Then he touched me in a place that was
forbidden.
I felt a sharp pain in my head and realized I
was drunk too.
“Ethan, no! We can’t do this. I should go…”
I stood up, but he pushed me back down.
“Am I not doing a good job? Why do you want
to leave?”
“Do you hate me that much?”
How could I hate him?
Even though time had passed, and I’d learned
to heal, I still loved him.
Everyone knew I loved him.
Tears welled up in his eyes.
He had so much to offer, but he was acting
like a desperate product, begging me to take
him.
But something felt off.
I thought about it for a long time before
realizing what it was.
L
“Don’t you like my sister?”
Ethan froze for a second. “When did I ever
say I liked your sister?”
I was shocked. Had he not?
But the voice in my head that day I woke up
had told me he liked Sarah.
Ethan saw that I was confused and then he
became happy.
“You thought I liked your sister? Is that why
you’ve been avoiding me?”
“I was not, you are who I love. I want to tell
you this now, can you be with me?”
My head was spinning.
It felt like everything was upside down.
I didn’t know what was real anymore. He
kissed me again.
The moment our skin touched, the visions of
my horrible death flashed before my eyes.
Was it all a lie?
But the pain, the weakness, felt so real.
It felt like there was a thorn between Ethan
and me. Whenever we got close, I felt pain.
Fear made me snap out of it.
I pushed Ethan away.
“I told you, I have a boyfriend. I can’t cheat on
him.”
Ethan let out a bitter laugh. “Why didn’t you
say you had a boyfriend when we were
kissing? You seemed into it. Didn’t you think
about him then?”
Why was he always so clearheaded when he
didn’t need to be?
I didn’t know what to say, so I just made up
an excuse.
“You know I’m not a good person. Otherwise,
I wouldn’t have done what I did back then. I
just had a moment of clarity.”
Ethan’s eyes turned dark.
He seemed angry.
“I think they’re right. I shouldn’t have let you
off the hook so easily. You need to be
punished.”
My heart jumped. “What are you going to
do?”
