Ethan was on his way back from the corner store, a small plastic bag swinging from his wrist, filled with nothing more than a cheap instant meal and a bottle of soda. But his mind wasn't on dinner. It was still tangled in the events of last night—his time with Sienna. The way she had leaned in close, her breath warm against his skin. The way her lips had curved into that knowing smirk, as if she saw straight through him. Every second of it replayed in his head like an addictive melody, one he couldn't silence no matter how hard he tried.
For once, he had felt like he belonged in her world, even if just for a moment.
But as he approached the entrance of his apartment building, a gravelly voice cut through his thoughts like a sharp blade.
"Hey, kid."
Ethan looked up and saw Mr. Langley, his neighbor from two doors down, leaning against the rusted railing outside the complex. The older man was wrapped in his usual worn-out cardigan, his thinning gray hair sticking out in uneven tufts. A cigarette dangled between his fingers, the glowing ember flaring each time he took a drag. His eyes, shadowed and unreadable, locked onto Ethan with a knowing look.
Ethan forced a polite nod. "Uh, evening, Mr. Langley."
Langley took a long pull from his cigarette, then exhaled a thick cloud of smoke before speaking. "I see you've been spending time with her."
Ethan stiffened, his grip tightening on the plastic bag. A cold ripple crawled up his spine. "Who?"
Langley scoffed. "Don't play dumb, kid. Sienna. The girl in 3B."
Ethan's heart did an uncomfortable flip in his chest. He had half a mind to walk past the old man and ignore him, but something in Langley's voice made him hesitate. He squared his shoulders and feigned indifference. "Yeah? What about her?"
Langley studied him for a long moment, then sighed, shaking his head as if Ethan had already disappointed him. "You seem like a good kid, so I'm just gonna say this once—stay away from that girl. She's trouble."
Ethan's brows furrowed. He had heard a variation of this before. People always had opinions about Sienna, whispered warnings coated in suspicion. But this was different. This wasn't some casual rumor passed around in hushed tones—this was a direct caution, and it made his stomach twist.
"She's my neighbor," Ethan said evenly.
Langley let out a humorless chuckle, flicking ash onto the concrete. "She's a lot of people's neighbor."
Ethan's fingers curled into a fist, irritation bubbling under his skin. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Langley's face turned grim, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Kid, open your damn eyes. That girl has men coming and going at all hours of the night. Different men, expensive suits, fancy cars. You do the math."
Ethan's pulse spiked, a flare of anger shooting through him. "Maybe she just has a lot of friends," he said, voice taut.
Langley's expression didn't change. If anything, it turned even darker. "Friends don't pay for short visits."
Ethan felt something cold settle in his stomach, but he shoved the feeling away. "You don't know anything about her."
Langley's eyes gleamed with something Ethan couldn't quite place. Pity, maybe. Or perhaps just the weary resignation of a man who had seen too much. "I've been living here longer than you, son. I've seen the cars. The men. I've seen her stumble into the hallway at dawn, barely able to stand. Trust me, you don't want to get mixed up in her kind of life."
Ethan shook his head, frustration clawing at him. "She's not like that."
Langley sighed heavily, as if Ethan's stubbornness exhausted him. "Suit yourself. But don't say I didn't warn you."
The old man flicked his cigarette onto the ground and stomped it out before retreating inside, leaving Ethan standing there, his heartbeat hammering in his ears. He didn't want to believe it—refused to believe it.
Sienna was different.
She had to be.
And no matter what people said, he wasn't about to walk away.