~ Chapter 28 ~
Reed walked Eva home.
Not because she asked.
Not because he insisted.
Because neither of them said anything when they reached the path that split toward her building.
They just... kept going.
Side by side.
Close enough that their arms brushed every few steps.
Close enough that Reed could feel the warmth of her body even without touching her.
Campus had shifted into its late-night version.
Quieter.
Softer.
Streetlights casting long shadows across sidewalks.
Everything slowed.
Eva hugged her sweater around herself, fingers twisting nervously in the fabric.
Reed kept glancing down at her without meaning to.
Her lips were still a little swollen.
Her hair still messy from his hands.
Every image from against the wall replayed in his head on a loop.
Her small sounds.
Her honesty.
Her saying she wanted him.
They stopped outside her building.
Neither reached for the door.
Neither stepped away.
Eva finally looked up.
Her eyes were darker than usual.
"I had fun," she said softly.
Reed nodded.
"Yeah. Me too."
Silence stretched.
Not awkward.
Charged.
Eva shifted her weight.
"I keep... thinking about you kissing my neck."
Reed's jaw tightened.
"That's not helping," he said quietly.
She swallowed.
"I don't want to stop thinking about it."
Reed stepped closer.
Not touching.
Just inside her space.
His voice dropped.
"Eva... if I kiss you again, I'm not leaving."
Her breath stuttered.
"I don't want you to leave."
He leaned in anyway.
Just once.
Slow.
Deep.
Lingering.
Enough to remind both of them exactly what they were trying to avoid.
Reed forced himself to pull back.
"Go inside," he said gently.
Eva hesitated.
Then nodded.
"Okay."
She opened the door.
Paused.
Turned back.
"Goodnight, Reed."
His chest felt tight.
"Goodnight, Eva."
She went inside.
Reed stood there longer than he should have.
Then turned and walked away.
----
Reed did make it home this time.
Barely.
He tossed his keys onto the counter.
Kicked off his shoes.
Dropped onto his bed fully clothed and stared at the ceiling.
Eva's voice.
Eva's mouth.
Eva's hands.
Her small gasp when his mouth touched her neck.
Her saying she wanted him.
His body responded immediately.
Hard.
Unrelenting.
He groaned and scrubbed a hand down his face.
This wasn't just physical.
That was the problem.
He didn't just want her body.
He wanted her closeness.
Her warmth.
Her trust.
He wanted to make her feel good.
Wanted to make her feel wanted.
Wanted to hear what she sounded like when she wasn't holding back.
Reed rolled onto his side.
Checked his phone.
Nothing.
He typed.
Deleted.
Typed again.
Deleted.
"Fuck," he muttered.
He sat up.
Stared at the door.
Stood.
Grabbed his keys.
He didn't think.
Didn't overanalyze.
He just left.
---
Eva was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling when the knock came.
Soft.
Not aggressive.
Almost hesitant.
Her heart leapt.
She knew.
She didn't check the peephole.
Didn't ask who it was.
She opened the door.
Reed stood there.
Hair slightly damp like he'd run his hands through it too many times.
Chest rising and falling faster than normal.
Eyes dark in a way that made her stomach flip.
And then his gaze dropped.
Just for a second.
To her bare legs.
To the oversized hoodie hanging off one shoulder.
His hoodie.
Pajama shorts.
Soft thighs.
Bare skin.
Something low and dangerous rolled through Reed's body.
Not a passing thought.
Not curiosity.
A visceral, physical want.
He felt it immediately.
Heavy.
Hot.
Unignorable.
"I couldn't stay away," he said quietly.
Eva's throat tightened.
"Okay."
One word.
Breathless.
Reed stepped inside.
The door closed.
The lock clicked softly.
And suddenly they were alone.
His hands went to her waist like muscle memory.
Warm.
Big.
Secure.
Her hands went to his chest.
Felt his heartbeat.
Fast.
They met in the middle.
The kiss was immediate.
Deep.
Hungry.
Unfiltered.
Like every ounce of restraint had snapped at once.
Eva rose onto her toes without realizing she was doing it.
Reed bent down.
Her back hit the door.
His thigh slid between hers.
Solid.
Warm.
She gasped into his mouth.
Reed groaned.
Low.
Raw.
His hands slid under her hoodie.
Bare skin.
Soft.
Warm.
Real.
Eva made a small sound she didn't recognize as her own.
Reed felt it in his bones.
He dragged his mouth from her lips to her jaw.
Her neck.
Her collarbone.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Like he was worshipping instead of rushing.
Eva's hands slipped under his shirt.
Skin to skin.
Hard muscle.
Heat.
She whimpered.
Reed swore under his breath.
"Bedroom," he said, voice thick.
Eva nodded.
He didn't hesitate.
He lifted her.
One smooth motion.
Eva's arms flew around his shoulders.
Her legs wrapped around his waist on instinct.
Then her brain caught up.
A spike of insecurity.
"I'm heavy," she blurted softly.
Reed stopped walking.
Looked at her.
Completely serious.
"You feel perfect," he said.
Then, like it wasn't even a question, he carried her down the hall.
No strain.
No hesitation.
Just strength.
Eva's chest ached in the best way.
They didn't stop kissing.
Didn't stop touching.
Didn't stop breathing hard.
Clothes shifted.
Hands got bolder.
Reed laid her on the bed gently.
Not dropping her.
Not tossing her.
Like she mattered.
Like this mattered.
He hovered over her.
Eyes searching her face.
Checking.
Always checking.
"Tell me if you want me to stop."
Eva shook her head.
"I don't."
Reed exhaled shakily.
Like that answer cost him control.
He kissed her again.
Slower.
Deeper.
His mouth moved lower.
Eva's back arched.
Her fingers tangled in his hair.
Pulled.
Not hard.
Needy.
His name left her lips like a plea.
Reed nearly lost it.
The world narrowed.
Breath.
Heat.
Want.
The soft rustle of fabric.
The quiet sounds they couldn't hold back.
Reed pressed his forehead to hers.
"I care about you," he said hoarsely.
Eva reached for his face.
Thumb brushing his cheek.
"I know."
He kissed her.
And whatever happened after that belonged only to them.
The door stayed closed.
The night stayed theirs.
Fade to black.