May 7, 2025

  Friday, 10:00 PM – The Taxi Situation

  Dinner ended, and for a brief, hopeful second, I thought I’d finally escaped.

  But it wasn’t that easy.

  Hannah checked her phone, announcing, “Let’s split cabs back.”

  Samantha stretched beside me, her cheeks flushed from the sake. “We’ll go with Eric,” she said, then turned toward me. “You good?”

  I opened my mouth to respond but stopped short. Leo and Ethan stood on either side of me, both clearly affected by the alcohol they’d spent the evening competitively drinking. Leo swayed slightly, his usually controlled charm giving way to something more unpredictable. Ethan, quieter but just as impaired, was holding himself too casually—his typical restraint loosened by the drinks.

  Samantha raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You sure you want to share a taxi with them?”

  Leo answered before I could, resting a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “She’s fine.”

  Ethan exhaled slowly, adjusting his sleeve as he glanced toward me. “Yeah, we’ll make sure she gets back.”

  I hesitated briefly, my instincts warning me—but I ignored them and climbed into the cab.

  Friday, 10:15 PM – A Mistake in Motion

  The instant I settled into the middle seat, I realized my mistake. Leo slid in beside me with unsettling ease, his movements relaxed and fluid, revealing just how much he’d actually had to drink. Ethan took the opposite side, controlled but lacking his usual carefulness. The doors closed, trapping me between them as the taxi pulled into traffic.

  Leo settled back, stretching his arm along the seat behind me, fingers tapping rhythmically. His shoulder brushed against mine, radiating warmth through my sleeve. Ethan shifted next to me, his knee lightly pressing against mine, but he made no effort to move away.

  The silence that filled the cab wasn’t awkward, exactly—it was charged, heavy with something I couldn’t quite name.

  Leo tilted his head toward me, voice low and teasing. “You comfortable, Spoon Girl?”

  My heart skipped, caught off guard by the closeness of his voice, the way his breath brushed across my skin. I turned slightly toward him, keeping my voice steady. “Leo, you are way too in my space right now.”

  He chuckled softly, but something about his eyes had changed. They were darker, serious—stripped of their usual playful edge.

  “Yeah?” he murmured quietly. “What’s wrong with that?”

  I began to answer but hesitated, suddenly noticing the intensity in his gaze. It wasn’t just drunken impulsiveness anymore. It was deliberate. Intentional. Like he’d found the perfect excuse to act on something he’d kept bottled up until now.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Heat surged through me, intense and immediate, freezing me in place.

  Leo’s eyes drifted downward, briefly lingering on my lips. He shifted closer, his knee pressing more insistently against mine, making it impossible to move.

  My pulse quickened, and my breath stalled in my throat as he leaned in, dangerously close.

  Friday, 10:17 PM – The Moment That Stopped Everything

  Leo’s presence overwhelmed me—warm breath, fingers brushing softly across my wrist, the sensation simultaneously casual and purposeful. My skin felt electrified beneath his touch.

  I knew I should pull away. Say something. Do anything to stop this moment from spiraling—but instead, I remained frozen, caught up in him. For that brief second, I surrendered to it: the undeniable pull between us, the tension I’d spent weeks ignoring.

  Leo’s lips parted slightly, like he was about to close the distance—

  And then, abruptly, Ethan moved.

  His arm crossed in front of me swiftly, grabbing my wrist and pulling me back toward him—not roughly, but with unshakable insistence. The spell shattered immediately.

  Leo’s expression shifted from surprise to amusement, his mouth curving into something quietly satisfied. “You really don’t like me getting too close, huh?”

  Ethan’s fingers tightened fractionally around my wrist. “I don’t like you assuming you can.”

  Leo exhaled slowly, shaking his head with a quiet laugh. “Man, you really can’t help yourself.”

  Ethan didn’t reply, but his grip didn’t loosen. Between them, I stopped breathing altogether.

  Friday, 10:20 PM – The Standoff That Shouldn’t Have Happened

  Leo’s gaze dropped pointedly to Ethan’s hand still circling my wrist. His lazy smirk had hardened, no longer amused.

  “Let go,” Leo said quietly, with unmistakable tension.

  Ethan’s response was immediate and firm. “No.”

  The taxi suddenly felt cramped, tension expanding to fill every inch. Leo drew in a sharp breath, raking a hand through his hair, jaw tightening in frustration. “Jesus, Park. You think you’ve made your point?”

  Ethan’s fingers flexed once more around my wrist before he finally released it—but he didn’t move his leg away. His voice was steady, challenging. “Not sure I have.”

  Leo scoffed, eyes flashing toward the roof of the cab, visibly forcing himself to keep control. “Unbelievable.”

  Ethan’s reply came measured but edged with irritation. “What’s unbelievable is that you thought this was a good idea.”

  Leo turned sharply toward Ethan. “And you think it’s your place to stop me?”

  The air between them thickened, sharp words suspended dangerously in the silence. The driver continued on obliviously, unaware of the volatile tension filling his back seat.

  Friday, 10:30 PM – The Taxi Stops, But My Problems Don’t

  The taxi finally stopped outside the hotel, yet none of us moved at first.

  Leo rubbed his face, blinking slowly, while Ethan exhaled quietly, staring at the ceiling. Desperate for escape, I leaned past Ethan to reach the door handle. He stiffened slightly, but didn’t stop me. As the door opened, the cool night air rushed in, providing immediate relief.

  I climbed out first, followed slowly by Ethan and Leo, both quieter and more subdued now. As I stepped toward the hotel entrance, I felt them both falling into step beside me, their tension still palpable.

  Without looking, I knew this wasn’t over yet.

  Inside the lobby, the quiet was deceptive. The softly lit marble floors and cool air should have been calming, but I felt more trapped than ever with Ethan and Leo walking in tense silence beside me.

  Leo finally spoke, his laugh short and humorless. “Well, that was fun.”

  Ethan responded dryly, “Was it?”

  Leo’s smile sharpened as he looked sideways at Ethan. “I don’t know, Park. You tell me.”

  Ethan’s jaw clenched visibly. “You’re still talking, so I guess not.”

  Leo scoffed, frustration evident. “Not my fault you’re so touchy.”

  Ethan shifted toward him, voice deceptively calm. “I’m not the one who had to be stopped.”

  Leo’s voice grew colder. “You really think it’s your job to stop me?”

  Something snapped in me. “Enough.”

  My voice rang out sharply, cutting through their tension. Both Ethan and Leo immediately stilled, eyes turning toward me. I faced them fully, no longer willing to be passive.

  “You’re both acting like I don’t have a say in this,” I said clearly, firmly. “Like I’m just some thing for you two to fight over —at a work event!”

  Leo opened his mouth, then hesitated when I glared at him. “Ada—”

  “Don’t,” I warned, turning to Ethan next. “And you—” He visibly tensed. “You don’t get to act like this is entirely on him.”

  Leo chuckled bitterly. “Yeah, Park. That one’s on you too, right?”

  Ethan stayed silent, acknowledging it with his eyes.

  “I’ve spent all night dealing with this,” I continued steadily. “The constant back-and-forth, being spoken for like I’m not even here.” I took a steadying deep breath. “I know I’m not blameless either, but I think today really crossed a line, so until the two of you can at least act professional during work events, please do not speak to me, or around me, or about me.”

  I stepped back decisively. Turning on my heel, I headed straight for the elevators without waiting for either of them to respond. For the first time tonight, I felt a sense of control.

  Friday, 10:45 PM – The Aftermath

  The elevator doors closed behind me, finally shutting out their presence. Relief washed over me as I leaned against the wall, letting the tension drain away. No more pressure, no more competition, no more stifling atmosphere.

  The elevator rose quietly, and I finally allowed myself to breathe deeply, realizing something important: No matter how much Leo and Ethan tried to control the situation, ultimately, the choice belonged to me.

  As the elevator chimed softly, the doors opened. I stepped out into the hallway toward my room, feeling calmer than I had all evening.

  For the first time tonight, I wasn’t running from anything.