ETHAN'S TOUCH (II)

Chapter 2 Lila's Pov. The rest of the evening passed in a haze. Jason kept talking about work, about our friends, about things that felt impossibly normal while I sat there, forcing myself to nod and smile like my whole body wasn’t on edge. Ethan listened and even added to the conversation at the right moments, but I could feel his attention on me like a hand gripping the back of my neck. Every time Jason looked away, Ethan’s eyes were on me. Watching and pinning me in place. Every time I reached for my wine glass, our fingers brushed, and my stomach flipped so hard it almost hurt. Every time I laughed at one of Jason’s stories, Ethan’s expression went darker, his jaw clenching like it pissed him off to hear me laugh for his brother. By the time Jason announced he was going to take a shower, my nerves were shredded. My thighs pressed together under the table, trying to calm the throbbing ache building there from sitting so close to Ethan, from feeling his stare on my skin all night lik