Chapter 70
Camila POV
I instinctively moved back.
He stepped closer.
“You expect me to just let that go?” His voice was tight, controlled–but underneath, I could hear it. The rage. The barely–contained violence.
Another step.
My back hit the wall.
His body was just inches from mine, the heat of him radiating off in waves. Every breath I took was filled with his scent–woodsy, clean, something sharp.
I swallowed hard, my pulse pounding in my ears.
Was that what this was about?
He was angry because… because he thought Matt kissed me?
I searched his face, my own emotions tangled and twisted into something I couldn’t even begin to unravel. My heart was racing, my palms were sweaty, and–God help me–I liked the way he was looking at me.
Like he wanted to destroy anything that touched me.
Like he wanted me.
“We… didn’t kiss.” My voice came out softer than I, intended, almost hesitant.
Ethan froze, his entire body going rigid. His gaze sharpened. “What?”
I wet my lips, suddenly feeling lightheaded. “We didn’t kiss,” I repeated, struggling to maintain my composure. “It was more of a–uh–a peck on the cheek.”
The second the words left my mouth, the tension in his shoulders eased.
I watched, almost fascinated, as the anger melted away from his face, replaced by something that almost looked like…
relief.
“Oh.”
That was it?
Oh?
I blinked up at him, my own emotions still in a complete fucking tailspin. I cleared my throat. “Yeah, I too would have been furious if I had my first kiss stolen by that creep.”
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And then, out of nowhere, a thought hit me so hard, I nearly staggered.
Wait… First kiss?
I already had one haven’t I?
My stomach flipped, my entire body heating in embarrassment. How had I forgotten?
That night.
The night he turned into that beastly thing.
We had kissed.
Me and Ethan… Kissed!
My gaze dropped to his lips and I felt his stare before I even looked back up.
My chest tightened.
Ethan’s head tilted slightly, his dark eyes locked onto mine.
“Camila?”
The way he said my name.
So soft. So careful. It was completely at odds with the way he had cornered me just moments before.
And it made my head spin.
I needed to get out of here.
I cleared my throat, forcing out an awkward laugh. “W–Well! I, uh–I should probably go.”
“Go?” he echoed, his voice a fraction lower than before.
I nodded, my movements stiff. “Yep! Y’know, I just remembered I, uh, left my–uh–phone charger downstairs, and I really need it, because–uh–battery’s low and–uh–yep. So, I’m just gonna-”
I tried to step around him, but he blocked me and arched a brow. “Why won’t you look at me?”
I froze.
Shit.
Abort mission. Abort mission.
I forced my eyes up, locking onto his, my pulse hammering in my throat. “There. Happy?”
His lips twitched. “Why are you blushing, Camila?”
I was blushing?!
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Oh my God.
‘I’m not-”
Ethan leaned in, his voice a whisper against my ear.
“What are you thinking about?”
I nearly choked. “Nothing.”
His smirk widened. “Our first kiss?”
I damn died.
The tension between us was thick as his eyes searched mine. Waiting for me to admit something–something I wasn’t
about to admit.
So I did the only thing I could do.
I shoved him. Hard.
He barely stumbled. If anything, he looked amused.
I scowled. “Move.”
Ethan tilted his head, taking his time before answering. “Why?”
“I need to-” I struggled for an excuse, my brain short–circuiting. “-leave.”
His smirk didn’t fade. “Why?”
I clenched my fists, ready to strangle him, when-
A knock came from the door.
“I need to go.”
The words left my mouth in a rush, my heart still pounding from whatever the hell just happened between me and Ethan. I didn’t wait for a response. I just turned, reaching for the door handle with slightly trembling fingers, pulling it open in one swift motion-
And froze.
Standing right outside, in the hallway, was my mother.
I swallowed. Hard.
Without a word, I stepped forward, brushing past her.
I could feel her hesitate behind me, feel the moment she turned, as if debating whether to stop me. But she didn’t.
I made it down the hallway, my feet moving faster than they should have, like I was fleeing rather than walking.
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And maybe I was.
Because whatever just happened back there? The way Ethan had looked at me, the way I had looked at him-
Nope.
Not dealing with that.
I made it to the grand staircase, my hands gripping the smooth, cold railing as I walked down, my mind still spinning. The mansion felt too big, too empty, yet somehow suffocating all at once. The kind of place where silence wasn’t comforting–it was oppressive.
h
I reached the bottom, stepping onto the polished marble floor, my own reflection faintly visible in its gleaming surface. My heartbeat was still erratic, my thoughts still tangled in a mess I couldn’t begin to sort through.
I barely made it to the front door before I heard it.
A voice.
Low. Careful.
“Camila.”
I stiffened.
My mother.
Of course.
I exhaled slowly, forcing my face into something neutral before turning. “What?”
She stood at the top of the grand staircase, her arms crossed over the fabric of her perfectly tailored dress. But something was different.
Nervousness?
She looked… uneasy.
“The wedding,” she stated, then stopped.
I waited, watching as she inhaled sharply before continuing. “It’s next week.”
The words hung in the air between us, heavy and unspoken in all the ways that mattered.
I didn’t react at first, just blinked at her.
The wedding she had been giddy about for weeks, telling everyone who would listen how perfect it was going to be.
And yet… she didn’t look very excited now.
Because of me, huh?
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I didn’t need to ask. I already knew.
She
was worried I wouldn’t
show up.
That I would stay away, that I would make a scene, that I would do something to ruin her perfect day.
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