Ethan didn't know when his fascination with Sienna had transformed into something deeper—something raw and insatiable. He had always been an observer, a quiet soul content to watch the world from a safe distance. But Sienna had ruined that for him. She had drawn him in, her presence intoxicating, her laughter a melody he found himself desperate to hear again and again.
But she was out of reach.
She existed in a world he didn't belong to, one that whispered secrets he wasn't sure he wanted to hear. Every night, he heard voices through the thin walls, deep murmurs that belonged to men he never saw twice. The sounds of footsteps pacing, low laughter, and sometimes—sometimes—something more.
Something intimate.
Something that made his body tense and his mind spin with questions he was too afraid to ask.
One evening, Ethan sat on his bed, his laptop open but forgotten. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, but his thoughts were miles away. The clock on his nightstand blinked at him—past midnight. And just like every night before, he heard the telltale sound of Sienna's door closing.
Then… voices.
He swallowed hard, willing himself to ignore it. It was none of his business. He had told himself this a hundred times before, but the ache in his chest didn't listen to logic. He stood up, running a hand through his hair as he paced his small apartment. He needed a distraction, something to pull him out of this ridiculous obsession. But nothing helped.
Not when her presence was always there, lingering just beyond the wall.
Then, as if fate was taunting him, there was a soft knock at his door.
Ethan froze.
For a moment, he thought he had imagined it. But then it came again, delicate yet insistent. His heart thundered in his chest as he crossed the room and hesitantly cracked the door open.
Sienna stood there, barefoot and wrapped in an oversized shirt that barely grazed her thighs. Her hair was a tousled mess, her lips slightly parted, as if she had just woken up—or had been doing something far more dangerous than sleeping. Her dark eyes flickered with something unreadable, and it made Ethan's breath catch.
"Hey, bookworm," she murmured, her voice lower than usual. "You busy?"
Ethan swallowed. "No."
She leaned against the doorframe, her gaze skimming over his face like she was searching for something. Then, she smirked. "You look like you've been thinking too hard."
He huffed a nervous laugh. "I guess I have."
Sienna tilted her head, studying him in that way that made him feel bare, as if she could see every messy thought inside his mind. "Come have a drink with me."
Ethan's pulse stuttered. "A drink?"
"Yeah." She grinned, stepping closer, so close that he could smell the lingering traces of her perfume. "Or are you afraid of me?"
Yes.
Terrified.
But not in the way she thought.
"I—uh—sure," he managed, stepping back so she could enter. His apartment was small and cluttered with books and papers, a stark contrast to the effortless chaos of her space. Sienna wandered in, her fingers trailing over his desk, her lips curving in amusement as she glanced at the scattered notes.
"You really are a nerd," she teased, picking up a book on advanced programming. "No wonder you never come out."
Ethan rubbed the back of his neck. "I… like my space."
"Mm." She turned, her gaze locking onto his. "Maybe too much."
He swallowed as she stepped closer, her presence electric. He wasn't used to this—being looked at like this. Like he was something interesting. Like he was something she wanted to unravel.
She lifted the book between them, tapping his chest lightly with it. "You ever take a break, bookworm?"
Ethan exhaled shakily. "I—uh—sometimes."
Sienna smirked, then tossed the book onto his bed. "Then tonight, you're taking one with me. No excuses."
And just like that, she turned and sauntered toward the door, pausing only once to glance over her shoulder. "You coming? Or are you gonna hide in here forever?"
Ethan hesitated. He knew—deep down—that stepping into her world would only make things worse for him. That the more he got close, the harder it would be to stay away.
But in that moment, none of it mattered.
With a deep breath, he grabbed his keys and followed her into the night.