Page 28 of It's Only Ever Been You

The words send a thrill through me, and I arch into him, my body moving instinctively to meet his. The rhythm we find is unhurried. Our bodies discovering each others for the first time, every touch, every sound, every caress filled with meaning.

I trail my hands down his back, feeling the taut muscles beneath my fingers, and he groans softly, his lips finding my neck. “Does it feel good?” he asks, his voice strained but tender. “Tell me, Em. I need to know.”

“Yes,” I breathe, my voice trembling. “It feels so good, Ethan. You feel so good.”

He shifts slightly, angling himself, and the next thrust sends a jolt of pleasure through me so intense I gasp, my nails digging into his skin. “There,” I whisper, my voice hitching. “Right there.”

He groans, his movements growing just a fraction deeper, more deliberate, and the sensation spirals higher, blotting out everything else. It’s overwhelming, all-consuming, and I hold onto him like he’s the only thing keeping me grounded. When the tension finally snaps, I’m falling and flying allat once, my body trembling as waves of pleasure crash over me.

Ethan follows moments later, a low, guttural sound escaping his lips as his body shudders against mine. His grip tightens briefly, his fingers digging into my skin as he lets go completely, the tension pouring out of him. He collapses onto me, his chest heaving, his breath hot and uneven against my neck. For a moment, he doesn’t move, his weight grounding me, his heart pounding in time with mine as we both try to catch our breath.

For a long moment, neither of us speaks, the silence filled with nothing but the sound of our breathing and the soft hum of the world outside. He pulls back slightly, his hand brushing the hair from my face as he looks at me, his expression filled with a mix of emotions that seem to linger, and I’m not sure what to make of them.

“You okay?” he asks, his voice soft and full of concern.

I nod, my lips curving into a small, tired smile. “Yeah,” I whisper. “More than okay.”

He kisses me gently, his lips lingering on mine as if he’s trying to memorize the moment. As we lay there in the quiet of his room, I realize this—whatever it is—is more than just a first. It’s the beginning. And for the first time in what seems like forever, everything feels right, as if we’re exactly where we’re meant to be.

For a while we lie tangled together, the room filled with the quiet hum of our breathing. He traces lazy patterns on my skin, his touch soothing and grounding, while I rest my head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart.

“I hope you don’t regret this,” he murmurs, his voice low but tinged with vulnerability.

I look up at him, my fingers brushing against his jaw. “Never,” I say, my voice soft but certain. “You?”

His eyes hold mine, something unspoken passing between us. “Not a chance.”

We spend the rest of the night talking, falling back into… us, but it’s tinged with something new, something neither of us acknowledges but both feel. We’re closer than we’ve ever been. But I’m nervous because tomorrow we’ll go back to our busy routines and schedules. I don’t want us to fall apart. Not when we just foundusagain.

Chapter Ten

Misunderstanding

Emma

College

The next day, I’m sitting with Sarah in the dining hall, the buzz of voices and clinking dishes filling the air. She’s flipping through her notebooks, occasionally looking up to ask about my internship, talking about how proud she is. But I can’t focus—my thoughts keep drifting back to last night, to Ethan, and everything that happened.

Sarah notices and nudges me with her elbow. “You’re totally somewhere else today. What’s up?”

I shake my head, laughing a little. “Just thinking about stuff you know, the internship and everything else I have going on.”

She grins, unaware of the thoughts tangled in my mind. “Well, I’m sure it’ll be fine. No regrets, right?”

I laugh, responding without really thinking, “Honestly, sometimes I regret it.” My tone is light, but thewords hang there, and the moment they’re out, a strange chill goes through me.

I shrug, brushing it off with a small smile, even as my stomach knots. I don’t mean it, not really. But the weight of everything—the internship, school, the complications with Ethan, it’s piling up, and I can’t shake the thought completely. I’m not sure I was cut out to be so busy.

Sarah raises an eyebrow, chuckling. “Oh, come on. You’ve put so much into this—you can’t be serious.”

We finish eating and talking then head back to our dorm, once there I decide to text Ethan. I want to make sure we don’t let us fall through the cracks and fall back into limbo.

Me: Hey! You free to talk later?

No reply. Minutes pass, then hours, and nothing comes through. I tell myself he’s just busy with practice—scouts have started showing up, and he’s mentioned feeling the pressure. But that doesn’t stop the strange chill that settles over me, like it did the earlier. I can’t shake the feeling that last night changed something, but I don’t understand what or why.

The following afternoon, I spot him on campus with a few of his teammates. My heart does this ridiculous flutter, but when I wave, he barely looks in my direction, his expression unreadable and distant. The person in front of me feels unfamiliar,and the realization stings more than I want to acknowledge.

---