Ella's POV~
The car stopped in front of a building I recognized. It was the same apartment the last time where he brought me when I was drunk out of my mind, where I promised I wouldn't enter again. Sylus's apartment.
Rain clung to him, refusing to let go. Droplets traced his jawline and ran down his black shirt. The silence between us felt heavy, filled with words neither of us wanted to say. When he turned off the engine, the rhythmic sound of the rain filled the space of the parked car in the parking area. It was soft and relentless, like my pulse against my ribs. He stepped out first, moved around the car, and before I could reach for the handle, the door swung open.
"Come on," he said, his voice low and rough from more than just the cold. I hesitated for only a moment before stepping out. The air hit me like a thousand tiny needles. It felt chilled, damp, and heavy with his scent mixed with the rain. My heels clicked once, then one snapped. Perfect.Ugh why does it have to be me...
Before I could balance myself and bend down to fix it, his hands were on me. He slid one arm beneath my knees and the other around my back, lifting me as if I weighed nothing. "Sylus-" I whispered, startled, my hands instinctively grasping his soaked shirt.
"Don't," he muttered, his eyes fixed ahead as he carried me toward the elevator. "You'll hurt yourself more." We walked to the elevator, the ride up was silent and tense. The air felt charged, thick with warmth and unspoken words. I could hear his breathing and feel it. Each exhale brushed against my damp hair. I had unknowingly clutched the fabric of his shirt, my heartbeat syncing with the faint thud of his against my ear. holy god, my heart and my gaze were drifting back at him
Floor 12. The elevator chimed softly. He adjusted, walked, and stopped in front of his house his grip, his muscles flexing under my palm as he pulled out his keycard and opened the door with one hand.
The cold yet warmth of his apartment hit me immediately. The air was dry, with a faint scent of rose and vanilla. Why did it smell like it... He set me down gently, my bare feet pressing against the cool marble. My breath caught when his fingers brushed my thigh, steadying me for just a moment longer than necessary.
My gaze dropped slowly to his soaked white shirt. Every contour beneath the fabric was clear, clinging to his skin in a way that made my ears heat up despite the cold. The closeness felt risky. Like it was standing too near a fire, I promised I wouldn't touch it again.
"Thank you," I murmured, my voice barely audible. He frowned slightly, with droplets tracing down his cheekbone. "Thank you? For what?" Before I could look away, his fingers tilted my chin upward, forcing my gaze to meet his. That looked like a mix of soft gold light that highlights every contour of his face, and a storm that held me remained in those dark orbs. His messy, rain-damp hair fell over his forehead, with a few strands sticking to his temples. The faint tattoo along his collarbone shone through the thin fabric, teasingly visible.
I swallowed hard. "For… coming to get me in the rain." His lips curved, faint but heavy with meaning. "It's nothing, Ella." He leaned closer, his voice low and quiet enough to make my heart skip. "Why didn't you call me?" "I-" my voice caught.
He didn't move back. The distance between us shrank, his breath brushing against my lips. "I told you," he whispered, searching my eyes, "when you're not okay, you call me." In that moment, with the water still dripping from his hair, his warmth sinking into my skin, I realized I didn't know if I was feeling a shiver of chill from the cold or from him.
"I'll get the towel," he said suddenly, breaking the heavy silence between us. He turned and walked down the hall, leaving wet footprints on the floor. The silence that followed was deafening. The place felt empty but not lonely. It was as if every part of it held something unspoken.
A vase of fresh roses sat on the counter, their petals soft. The faint scent of roses mixed with something warmer. I had started to recognize that scent, and I craved it without even realizing it. When he returned, he handed me the towel quietly. His fingers brushed against mine for just a moment before he excused himself again. I began drying off, my thoughts along with it.
I looked around his apartment. The kitchen shelves were filled with instant meals and neatly arranged bottles of whiskey and wine. There was no trace of comfort, just control totally like him. Feeling the cold in the living room, I walked down the hallway toward where he had disappeared.
"Sylus?" I called softly, knocking once. There was no answer. I hesitated, knocked again, and slowly pushed the door open. As soon as I stepped inside, the air changed. it had a dark interior and beautiful yellow glow setting, and the air was thick with warmth and the faint, familiar scent of vanilla and roses – my scent?. My heart skipped.
Before I could make a move, I heard a soft click, and the bathroom door opened. Steam rolled out, wrapping around him like mist. He stepped out, shirtless, with a towel hanging low around his hips. Water droplets slid down his chest at a slow, relaxed pace.
We froze. His gaze met mine, and everything inside me went still it felt like my body forgot how to breathe. I didn't realize I was staring until his lips parted, and he looked away, heat creeping up his neck.
"S-sorry!" I blurted out, my eyes dropping as my heart raced in my chest. "I knocked, but you didn't-I just-it's cold, and-" He said nothing, just turned his head slightly.
Before I could embarrass myself further,My fingers fumbled with the door handle, my heart racing. "Why isn't this opening…" I muttered to myself as I twisted it again, but it wouldn't budge. My palms trembled, and my cheeks burned. All I could think about was how the steam had clung to him and the way his eyes had looked at me before he looked away.
Before I could try once more, I felt him. Sylus.
He eased closer, slow and calm, until I sensed his presence right behind me.
"Why are you so startled?" His voice was low and steady, too close. It brushed over my skin like smoke. My breath caught. The air thickened when he leaned down, his lips near my ear.
I squeezed my eyes shut as a soft gulp rose in my throat.
"Don't do that," I whispered, though I didn't sound sure.
Sudden Warmth crept up my waist, his hands slid around it, resting there. Not rough, just enough to make my knees weak. "Sy-Sylus…" He pulled me back a little, my back grazing his bare chest. "You've seen me shirtless before," he murmured, teasing me with that smoky tone. "It's not new, Ella. So why so tense?"
A flash of memory hit me that morning, I woke up hungover on his bed, head pounding, and him standing there shirtless, sipping his coffee in the sunlight. I swallowed hard. "That was… different," I managed to say.
He chuckled softly, his breath tickling my ear. "You sure?" My heart was too loud now, and my mind felt foggy. I was sure he could hear it. How embarrassing.
Then his voice dropped lower, dangerously calm. "You know you've locked the door," he said. "What are your intentions, hm?" "Intentions? I-I didn't mean to-" I turned to face him and froze. He stood there, Wet hair clinging to his forehead, a few dark strands falling into his eyes. Those dark eyes locked on me, steady and unreadable, and that scent clean, deep, like dark amber mixed with a hint of his cologne, wrapped around me, pulling me under.
My breath faltered, but His gaze didn't waver.
Sylus's POV~
She didn't know how much I wanted to kiss her lips. Every part of me burned to taste her. She looked so tempting in that rain-soaked dress. The fabric clung to every curve, her hair stuck to her skin, and her eyes were wide and open. Each breath she took tested my control.
I wondered how her wet hair would feel tangled in my fingers. I thought about how she'd sound if I pulled her closer, if I finally stopped pretending I didn't want her. Being so close was driving me crazy. Each inch between us felt like a punishment.
I could feel my self-control slipping, with each second pulling me closer to the edge I had promised myself I wouldn't cross. But instead of giving in, I decided to tease her. I wanted her to feel every bit of what I was fighting. I leaned forward, close enough that the heat of my breath brushed her jaw, just to watch her reaction. I noticed her soft, uneven exhale and the way her throat moved when she swallowed.
She didn't realize what she was doing to me. Or maybe she did. That made it even harder to stop.
I tilted my head and lowered my voice to that quiet space between a whisper and a threat. "You know what's cruel, Ella?" She looked up, startled. Her eyes were glassy, and her lips trembled. I couldn't help but look at them, wishing to taste every bit of it.
"It's how you stand this close…" I murmured, brushing my hand against her waist, "…and still act like you don't feel it too."Her breath caught, sharp and audible. She tried to step back, but I closed the space slowly and deliberately. Her back hit the door as my hand pressed beside her head.
"Do you feel how every inch of your body is ignited?" I asked softly. The question wasn't meant to tease her, but I loved how her pulse raced under her skin.
"Sylus…" she breathed, barely above a whisper. Even that sounded like surrender.
I smirked and spoke in a rough voice. "You keep saying my name like that and expect me to stay sane?" She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Don't… play with me."
"Who said I was playing?" My thumb brushed the side of her jaw, tracing the raindrop that ran down her skin.
"You think I don't know what this proximity is doing to us?" Her lips parted, and her chest rose with quick, uneven breaths. I leaned in close enough for our noses to touch, close enough to feel her warmth through that soaked dress.
Only to look away after seeing her flustered expression, she looked like a dream. The way her lashes trembled and her cheeks flushed a light pink made me smile.
"You'll catch a cold if you stay like that," I said, keeping my voice steady. "You should change." I turned before I could say something dumb, walked to the closet, and grabbed a sweatshirt, my favorite one, the one that always smelled like me. I handed it to her, trying not to let my fingers touch hers.
She nodded quickly, held it close to her chest, and hurried to the bathroom. The moment the door closed, I let out a long, rough breath.
"Damn…" I muttered under my breath, running a hand through my hair. I caught my reflection in the mirror, soft smirk, flushed neckline, fastened heartbeat. What was wrong with me?
This wasn't how it was supposed to feel. She was just supposed to be… Ella. The quiet one. The girl who needed someone to look out for her. Not the one who made my heart beat fast and my thoughts spiral out of control, my body hot to resist.
I changed into sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, trying to shake it off. Music played softly from my phone, Meddle About by Chase Atlantic, to calm down myself and my thoughts, but it didn't help. I lay down on the bed, one arm over my eyes, muscles tense.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her damp hair against her neck, lips slightly parted, flushed pink cheeks. "Jesus," I groaned, rolling onto my side, fingers gripping the sheets. Get it together, Sylus. Don't mess this up. But damn… just the thought of her a few feet away made it hard to focus.
She stepped out of the bathroom, and for a second, I forgot how to breathe. My sweatshirt hung loosely on her frame, engulfing her, the hem brushing just above her knees. The fabric slipped off one shoulder, revealing smooth skin that made my throat go dry. Her damp hair framed her face with soft waves, a few strands still clinging to her collarbone. She looked like the kind of temptation you only see once before losing your sanity.
"Thanks," she murmured, her voice light but warm, a bit shy. That smile, soft and barely there, hit me harder than it should have. She crossed the room, her bare feet padding against the wooden floor. She sat on the edge of the bed, then she buried her face into the sleeve of my sweatshirt, inhaling softly, a content hum escaping her lips."mmm"
"God, this is so comfortable…" she mumbled against the fabric, her voice muffled and soft enough to make my pulse stutter. I couldn't look away. Her fingers played with the end of the sleeve, her knees pulled up slightly, my hoodie draping around her like I had wrapped her in me, so close to me. The sight was lethal.
Then she peeked up at me from the folds of the fabric, her eyes catching the faint light, mischief shining through. "Thank you… Sylus," she said, a sly curve lifting her lips. I swear my heart forgot its rhythm. "Don't say my name like that," I muttered, my voice lower than I intended.
"Like what?" she asked innocently, though that smirk said otherwise. "Like you know exactly what it does to me." Her smile deepened, small, teasing, dangerous. I could feel the last of my restraint slowly snapping, one breath at a time.
Ella's pov~
I slid down against the cold bathroom wall, my knees giving way. My pulse raced, and every breath felt too heavy to take in. The steam covered the mirror, but when I looked at my reflection, I almost didn't recognize the girl staring back. Flushed cheeks, red-tipped ears, and eyes still shaking from words that shouldn't have had that kind of power. "You'll catch a cold if you stay like that." Just those words, but his voice lingered like a whisper on my skin.
I pulled his hoodie over my head, and it nearly engulfed me. It was soft, warm, and so clearly him. Each breath brought that scent, cedar, rain, and something deeper I couldn't identify. My body relaxed, but my mind kept spinning. It felt like I was wrapped in him, like I belonged to him.
"What the hell are you thinking, Ella?" I muttered to myself, slapping my cheeks lightly,y pulling myself back to my senses, pressing my hand to my burning face before stepping out. I realized that my mood felt better, calmer, like myself.
He looked up the moment the door opened and froze. It was as if he forgot how to blink, gripping the pillow so hard the fabric wrinkled. For a second, I thought about retreating to the bathroom just to escape that gaze. But I didn't. I couldn't. I wanted to move closer. like the moth to flame, he was pulling me in that undeniable pull.
I walked over and sat on the bed, tucking my legs beneath me. His hoodie brushed against my skin, soft and safe, and the silence stretched between us thick, uncertain, magnetic.
To break it, I blurted out, "Have you ever played pillow fight?" He blinked, surprised, his brow furrowing as if I'd just asked him the oddest question. "What?"
I laughed softly, a warm sound that hadn't come from me in days. "Pillow fight. You know, normal people do that for fun." He tilted his head, still watching me like I was the only unpredictable thing left in the world.
Sylus's pov~
"You look so tense," she said, her voice playful as she threw a pillow right at my face. It hit me before I even realized it. "What the—" She smirked. "What happened, Mr. Sylus, hm?"she teased, tilting her head in that way that made my chest feel strangely tight.
I picked up the pillow from the floor, a slow grin spreading across my lips. "You started this, Ella." Before she could respond, I swung back lightly. She gasped, her eyes wide, then burst into laughter. "Ya! You did not just do that!" And just like that, she was chasing me.
Her laughter filled the room, soft and chaotic, bouncing off the walls. It was contagious. The tension that had built all day, the worry, the jealousy, the ache all disappeared in those few seconds. I couldn't remember the last time I smiled like that. Not the polite, forced smile, but the real kind. The kind that makes your chest ache in a good way.
"Get back here!" she laughed, swinging the pillow again, her hair bouncing as she moved. "Not a chance," I said, dodging her blow, but she caught me off guard, hitting my shoulder with a triumphant grin.
"Oh, Ella," I breathed, half amused, half unsettled by the sight of her standing sweatshirt slipping off one shoulder, cheeks flushed, eyes shining like she held all the light I never had. For a moment, I just stood there, pillow limp in my hand, watching her laugh as if the world hadn't hurt her. As if I hadn't felt pain either.
And damn, if this wasn't the most dangerous feeling I'd ever experienced."I wanted her like this with me here, fully with me.... I'll choose her over and over again if I have to"
We were a mess, pillows passing everywhere, laughter filled the room, and the sound of rain faded into a distant silence outside. Her laughter was contagious, that rare, unfiltered kind that made my chest ache in the best way.
"Take that!" she shouted, swinging a pillow at me. I barely dodged it and lunged back. She stumbled over a fallen cushion.
"Ah!" her voice wide-eyed, she was about to fall off the bed. I caught her mid-fall, but we both tumbled onto the bed anyway, breathless and tangled in the chaos. My hand still held her waist, her hair brushing against my cheek.
For a moment, we didn't say a word, her back was pressed against my side. Then she laughed softly, breathily, the kind of sound that made everything else fade away. She rolled off to the side, lying beside me, her chest still rising quickly.
"That was fun," she said between laughs, her eyes sparkling as she stared up at the ceiling. "It's been years since I laughed like that." I turned my head slightly to watch her face the faint smile on her lips, the glow in her eyes reflecting the dim light," mesmerizing" words slipped out of my mouth, low, unnoticed by her.
Her gaze drifted upward. "Wow…" she whispered, noticing the moon embedded in the ceiling, surrounded by a delicate silver detailing mirror. "It's beautiful… what's that for?" Her hand lifted, fingers stretching toward it as if she could actually touch it. The innocence of the gesture was as soft as her.
I swallowed and spoke more softly. "It's… something I made. Back when I thought beauty could keep the darkness away. That moon could fade away the darkness that held me."
She turned her head slightly toward me, eyes gentle. "And did it?" I looked up at that same moon, the reflection of her still shimmering faintly in its light. "No," I said honestly, "but right now… it feels like maybe it's trying again."
"Like it was worth putting it there, cause the most beautiful thing it's doing is catching your reflection here with me..."