The following week promised nothing but chaos—and Sophie had a feeling it was all going to involve Ethan.
Brenda had somehow roped her into helping with every little detail of a neighborhood fundraiser. "You're my right-hand girl, Sophie," Brenda had said, and Sophie had smiled, hiding the fact that being "right-hand girl" meant spending almost all her time near Ethan.
It started innocently enough. Sophie was arranging chairs in the community hall when Ethan showed up to lend a hand. He leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, that familiar smirk tugging at his lips. "You're making it look easy," he said casually, though the glint in his eyes betrayed amusement.
Sophie frowned, brushing imaginary dust off her hands. "I am making it look easy," she shot back.
He stepped closer, close enough that she could feel the faint warmth radiating from him. "Easy? Or are you just showing off because I'm watching?"
Sophie's stomach flipped. Why does he have to do this to me? she thought, trying to act nonchalant as her cheeks heated.
Throughout the day, they were forced into situations that kept them in close contact: lifting tables, moving decorations, and coordinating volunteers. Each interaction left a spark, subtle but undeniable, making it harder for Sophie to focus.
"Do you really like this song?" Ethan asked at one point, leaning back against a table and tilting his head toward the small speaker playing background music.
Sophie nodded. "Yeah. It's one of my favorites. You like it?"
He smiled, a slow, knowing smile. "More than I'd like to admit. Didn't expect you to have good taste in music."
She rolled her eyes but laughed. "I have excellent taste, thank you very much."
It was moments like this—small, playful, shared laughs—that made the tension between them almost unbearable. Sophie noticed how their interests overlapped in little ways: favorite songs, similar humor, even their taste in coffee. It made the attraction feel less like a fantasy and more like inevitability.
At one point, they were setting up a late-night display of lights for the fundraiser, the hall empty except for the two of them. Their hands brushed while untangling strings of fairy lights, and Sophie felt a jolt of heat shoot through her body.
"Careful," Ethan murmured softly, his hand hovering near hers for just a second longer than necessary.
"I'm fine," she whispered, heart racing, but she didn't move away.
He gave her a teasing glance. "Are you sure? You've been nervous around me all day."
Sophie looked away, fidgeting. "I'm not nervous. You're imagining things."
He smirked knowingly. "Sure. Keep telling yourself that."
Later, as they worked on arranging tables, Ethan leaned slightly closer, dropping his voice. "You know, you're… hard to ignore."
Sophie froze. Did he just…? Her heart pounded. "Ethan, we shouldn't—" she began, but he just shook his head gently.
"I know," he said softly, almost a whisper. "I'm just… noticing."
And that was the problem. He noticed. He noticed everything—the way she laughed, how she moved, how her eyes lit up when she was passionate about something. Every subtle gesture made the pull between them more tangible, more dangerous. Sophie's mind raced with guilt. Brenda was her best friend. Ethan was her brother. This attraction wasn't just forbidden; it was complicated, risky, and entirely consuming.
As the night drew on, they found themselves carrying decorations to the storage room, alone. The hall was dark except for the faint glow of the fairy lights, and the air felt electric, charged with unspoken words.
Sophie's hands brushed his again, and she didn't pull away. Instead, she felt her pulse quicken, a strange thrill coursing through her veins.
"Do you… think about it?" Ethan asked quietly, almost nervously, and Sophie's stomach twisted.
"Think about what?" she asked, her voice barely audible.
He didn't answer immediately, just let the silence stretch, making her feel like her heart had been caught in a trap. Finally, he said, "Us. You and me. Being… closer than we should."
Sophie's breath hitched. The words were dangerous, tantalizing, and real. She felt her body respond, a shiver of fear and longing running down her spine. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find the words, her mind a whirlwind of guilt and desire.
"I… we shouldn't," she whispered finally, trying to steady herself, though she knew her voice betrayed her uncertainty.
Ethan stepped just a fraction closer, so near that she could feel the warmth radiating from him. "I know," he said softly. "I'm not saying we should… yet. But I notice you. And I think you notice me too."
Sophie swallowed hard, heat rising to her cheeks. "I… I do," she admitted, her voice trembling slightly.
The admission hung between them, electric and fragile, as if the world had stopped just to watch their tension. Her heart raced, her thoughts screamed, and yet part of her wanted nothing more than to lean in, to see what it would feel like to close the distance.
Before anything else could happen, a sudden noise echoed from the hall—the door creaked open, startling them both. They jumped slightly, and Sophie's hands instinctively moved away. Brenda's voice called from the other room, breaking the spell.
Sophie exhaled shakily, trying to calm her racing heart. Ethan gave her a look—soft, teasing, loaded with something unspoken—before straightening and moving toward the door to check on their friend.
Alone, Sophie leaned against the wall, her thoughts spinning. I shouldn't feel this way. I can't feel this way. He's Brenda's brother. But the memory of his gaze, the brush of his hand, and the warmth that lingered in her chest made her pulse race uncontrollably.
And then, as she quietly turned to leave the hall, Ethan's voice stopped her. "Sophie… wait."
She froze, her stomach fluttering like a thousand butterflies. He stepped closer again, a slow, deliberate movement that left no space between them. "Don't ignore it," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear.
Her breath caught. She wanted to step back. She wanted to fight it. But the pull between them—the forbidden, intoxicating tension—was too strong. She realized with a mix of fear and excitement that nothing would ever be the same after this summer.
And with that, the night ended, leaving Sophie flustered, heart racing, and more certain than ever: Ethan wasn't just her best friend's brother. He was a temptation she couldn't resist—and one she wasn't sure she could escape.