Step into love

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silence of the night. I tossed and I turned, with a swirl of confusing and

ning replayed in my head, "If y

the way he had said it, in a look he gave

hat kind of stillness that amplifies even the slightest sounds. I fixed my gaze at the door, wondering if he was awake, wondering

. Barely audible, but co

ure whether to call out or just be silent. Ma

began to twist,

little. In the dim light, I could hardly make out his silhouette standing in the door

softly, his voice low, as if

rching for my voice.

the door clicking shut softly behind him. My room felt a little smaller, the wa

, his voice also strained. "

e blanket tighter aro

hand through his messy hair before his

Us? The word hung in the air b

"This whole thing. It's confusing. You're my stepsister, but-" H

the tension between us pa

d his breath for far too long. "But i

e looks, the timing-everything there was more to, and here he

asked, my voice barely

d closer to me so I could feel the heat fr

is," he finally admitted. "But I do know that

could change. But while I wanted to say something, do something, a part o

mouth to respond, we hea

spell between us

ice from the other

expressionless. "We'll talk later," he whispered and

pounding while the knock came ag

elled, my voice unsteadily concealing the whirlwind of emotion racing through me. The quiet of th

side, her expression a mixture of concern and w

elt more like a grimace. "Yeah,

y face as if for some kind of bruise. "You've been jum

a shade too fast, and felt a twinge of

but remember that I'm here if you need me." My mom remained with me for another moment, turned, an

cted visit once I was alone again. Had that really just happened? My

oned voice; it was just too much. He was right: we couldn't keep on pretending nothi

ial could be made regarding my feelings toward him. They were real and had been

down. Eventually, my eyelids gave in, and I closed them, hoping sleep would creep in.

adrenaline coursing through me, both thrilling and terrifying.

int light of the streetlamp. My breath caught high in my throat as I thought

the quiet of the night. "What are you doing?" I whispere

in," he returned low and

she would sure want to know what was happening. Yet something deep i

the carpet. The moment he was inside, the air fel

rting to the door as if expecting o

hough my heart was racing.

esence overwhelmed me. "I couldn't stop thinki

and after a silence stretched, our eyes met. "What d

I thought he would pull me into his arms. "I don't know," he ad

at could be. I could feel the warmth that was him envelop me, and with each beat of

nswer him, another rap sounded fro

her side of the door, shatte

hurried step back, frustration and concern warring on hi

, my heart racing as I turned

, panic flashing in his eyes.

t thing I wanted was for him to leave like this, n

me. My heart was rushing, my head jumbled with questions to which I had no answers. I co

ory, but his voice was stuck on replay in my he

ns. I was still calming down, my cell phone beside me s

. I need to tel

ered at the clock; it was well past midnight. My mom would kil

ondered how to respond. Before I even

d: By the tree in the backya

dle. The house was dead silent, people sleeping. Went down the stairs, every creak of the floorbo

ant. I spotted Ethan under the tree-his figure barely visible under the moonlight.

hispered, peering around to

t. "But I couldn't wait until tomorrow

d. The excitement and dread combined

omething small and metallic. My breath caught in my throat as I recogniz

rom him. The metal was cool to the touch, felt heavy

rom here, but no one knows about it excep

this was going. "And why

gaze intense. "I want you

an, this is insane. We can't just run of

here's something I need to tell you, something that'll change

est. "What are you talkin

ooker to pop out at any moment. His voice fell to a bare whisper. "It'

spine. "What are

d through his hair in frustration. "But just-please

ould he know? I mentally filled in the blanks with my doubts: Was

t feel right," I whispered, getti

ing with mine. "But you have to trust me. Tomor

rt of him I'd never seen before. Part of me actually wanted to turn around and run back inside, never to have t

, my voice just above

'd been holding onto for ages, nodded, an

ws, leaving me right under the tree, holding t

is possibly be so important that it couldn't even wait? And why did I have the distin

he speculations of what the next day might reveal beset me. Ethan's eyes softened as he looked down at my hand

at that moment, my mother opened the door. "What's goin

the window," I lied, my heart raci

too could feel that something was off. "Ok, but you should get some res

ed out into the dark. Ethan was gone, but his presence sti

I got back into bed, I couldn't get rid of the feeling that