Lila stared at the ceiling long after dawn broke, her lips still tingling.
She had scrubbed her face in the bathroom until her skin burned, as though she could wash away the memory, erase the fire that had devoured her.
But nothing could erase it.
Her first kiss.
His voice whispering against her lips.
"Every first is mine."
Her stomach twisted, her chest tight. She hated him. She hated how he made her heart stumble, how her skin betrayed her with shivers. She hated that he knew her secrets—and still, some hidden part of her felt relieved that someone finally saw all of her.
And that terrified her most of all.
By the time she came downstairs, the house was alive with the usual chaos of her family. Her four brothers lounged around the kitchen like they owned it, half-dressed, loud, and nosy. Her father sat at the head of the table, reading the morning paper, glasses low on his nose, while her mother hummed over the stove.
Her big sister, Elara, leaned against the counter, sipping coffee, eyes sharp as always.
"Morning, troublemaker," Elara said smoothly.
Lila blinked. "Morning."
"Late night?" one of her brothers—Caleb—asked, his smirk lazy, but his eyes razor-sharp.
Her grip on the fridge handle tightened. "Homework."
"Homework?" Tyler snorted. "Smells more like gasoline and asphalt to me."
Her stomach dropped.
Her father's gaze lifted over the paper, pinning her in place.
"Where were you last night, Lila?" His voice was calm. Too calm.
She swallowed, forcing her voice steady. "Out. Riding."
"Riding where?" her eldest brother, Aiden, pressed. "Because your bike was gone long after curfew."
Heat crept up her neck. She hated lying to them, but what choice did she have? "Clearing my head."
Her brothers exchanged looks.
And then Jordan—sharp-eyed, silent Jordan—leaned forward, gaze narrowing. "What happened to your mouth?"
Her blood ran cold.
Instinctively, her hand flew to her lips. "What?"
"There's a mark," Jordan said flatly. "Like someone kissed you."
The room froze.
Her father lowered the paper entirely, his expression thunderous. Her brothers straightened, eyes blazing.
Elara's cup paused midair, a knowing smirk playing at her lips. "Oh, this just got interesting."
Lila's heart pounded. "It's not—no one—"
"Who?" Aiden's voice was steel.
"No one!" she snapped, panic sharpening her tone.
Her mother finally turned from the stove, her soft voice trying to cut through the storm. "Enough, she's not a child anymore."
But her father slammed his hand on the table, rising to his full height. "If someone touched you, Lila, I will know who." His voice shook the walls.
Her brothers were on their feet, fists clenched, eyes deadly.
She backed up a step, heart hammering, throat tight. "It's none of your business!"
"It's all of our business!" Aiden roared.
Tears burned her eyes, frustration choking her. They loved her, she knew that. But this was suffocating.
And worse, Ethan's words echoed in her mind—his vow, his kiss, his possession.
She couldn't tell them. Not about him. Not yet.
Because if she did… blood would spill.
School was no easier.
She walked the halls with her head down, headphones in, trying to drown out the whispers. Ethan was everywhere. Leaning against lockers, watching her across classrooms, following her down hallways with those dark, consuming eyes.
Every time she turned, he was there.
And every time their eyes met, her lips burned.
Finally, by lunch, she couldn't take it anymore. She stormed outside, desperate for air.
But he followed.
"Lila."
She spun, glaring. "Stay away from me."
He smirked, stepping closer. "After last night? Not a chance."
Her heart lurched. "That was a mistake."
He caught her chin, tilting her face up, eyes blazing. "No. That was the beginning."
Her breath hitched. "You don't own me."
His thumb brushed her lip, slow, possessive. "Every first is mine. I told you."
"Ethan—"
"I don't share, Lila. Not your secrets. Not your time. Not your lips. Not your body. Not your heart." His voice dropped lower, rougher. "And when you go on that trip—remember, even there, you'll still be mine."
Her pulse stuttered, fury and heat warring inside her. "You're insane."
He leaned in, lips ghosting over her ear. "Insane for you."
Her knees weakened.
And she hated it.
Because deep down, she knew—chains could be invisible.
And Ethan's chains already wrapped around her heart.