Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 41 - Chapitre 50

42 Riley’s POV The steam in the bathroom had thickened, clinging to the mirrors and the walls as I stepped out of the shower, feeling the cool air hit my damp skin. Ethan was still in there, the water running, but I couldn’t help but linger outside, feeling like I was floating on the high of what had just happened. When he finally stepped out, water dripping down his toned body, I leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over my chest, watching him dry off. “So, I guess you’re not mad anymore?” I asked, my voice low, teasing. Ethan glanced up, his eyes flickering to me with that usual stubbornness, but I saw the hint of something soft, something unspoken in his gaze. “I wasn’t mad,” he muttered, toweling off his hair. “Just… surprised.” I couldn’t stop the smirk that tugged at my lips. “Surprised, huh? I’ve been surprising you a lot lately, haven’t I?” Ethan rolled his eyes, clearly trying to act like he didn’t care. “That’s one word for it,” he said, stepping around me to gr

44 Ethan Riley, of course, was no help. He sat there, quiet as ever, barely even looking at me now. He was probably as flustered as I was, but for entirely different reasons. What was going on in his head? Ava didn’t stop though, clearly sensing the discomfort in the air. She leaned back into the couch, her eyes narrowing as she gave me a pointed look. “So, Ethan,” she started, clearly amused now, “when you two are… you know… doing the whole ‘fake’ thing, are you keeping things ‘fake’ in the bedroom too? Or are we all just pretending here?” My cheeks went hot, and I could feel the words jumbling in my throat. “I… I don’t—” I choked, glancing at Riley, hoping he’d rescue me from this awkward mess. Riley finally spoke up, his voice rougher than usual. “It’s complicated, Ava.” That caught her attention. She turned to him, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips. “Oh, is it now? Complicated how? Is someone getting attached?” Riley didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he rubbed th

4646RileyI closed the door behind me, pressing my back against it as I let out a slow, shaky breath.My chest felt tight, my head was pounding, and everything inside me was telling me to shut down—to stop thinking, to stop feeling. But how could I, when Ethan had looked at me like that?Like I was breaking his heart without even trying.I raked a hand through my hair, moving toward the bed and sitting on the edge. My elbows rested on my knees as I stared down at the floor, my mind an absolute mess.This was why I never let things get complicated.This was why I had rules.And yet, here I was, tangled in something I never meant to start.And fuck, it wasn’t just about feelings anymore. It was about the truth—my truth.I wanted to tell him. Every time we got close like this, every time his eyes softened and his voice dropped like he actually cared, the words clawed at my throat.I’m a werewolf.Three words. They shouldn’t be so fucking hard to say.But they were.Because once I said

48RileyI stood frozen in Ethan’s doorway, my lips still tingling from the kiss. My heartbeat was a frantic mess, my thoughts even worse. I hadn’t planned on this. Hadn’t planned on any of this.But the way he looked at me, the way his fingers curled around my wrist like he wasn’t ready to let go—I almost told him everything.I wanted to.But fear kept my mouth shut.If he knew the truth, he’d see me differently. Worse—he’d be in danger.So I swallowed it down, plastering on the best smirk I could manage. “Well… that was unexpected.”Ethan huffed a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah. It was.”Silence settled between us, thick with everything we weren’t saying.I shifted my weight. “I should—”“Yeah.”I bent down to grab my bag, my fingers tightening around the strap. Ethan didn’t move, but I could feel his eyes on me. I knew if I looked at him, if I let myself hesitate even a second longer, I’d lose whatever resolve I had left.So I didn’t. I pulled the bag over my shoulder a

50 Ethan The phone felt heavier in my hand than it should have. I stared at the screen, waiting for those three dots to reappear—but they didn’t. Just an empty screen, mocking me.I swallowed hard, my throat dry. Something gnawed at my gut, a tension that refused to fade. I told myself I was overthinking. Maybe he changed his mind about replying. Maybe he just set his phone down.Or maybe—I shook my head. No. I needed to stop.I exhaled sharply, pushing off the counter. The weight in my chest didn’t ease as I moved toward the bathroom, turning the faucet on. Cold water hit my palms, but it did nothing to clear the unease clinging to me like a second skin.I scrubbed a hand over my face and met my reflection in the mirror. My jaw was tight, brows drawn together, eyes shadowed from a night of barely sleeping. I looked like someone barely holding it together.Damn it, Riley.I turned away, showered quickly, and dressed in the first clothes I could find—a plain black tee and jeans. My