The days following the kiss were a blur. A whirlwind of confusion and undeniable pull that Eli couldn't seem to escape, no matter how hard he tried. Every time he saw J.M., every time their eyes met, there was that spark a tension that was so thick, so heavy, that Eli could hardly breathe.
He should've hated it. He should've pushed J.M. away and told him to leave, to go back to whatever twisted game he was playing. But every time he thought about doing it, a part of him—an insistent, aching part—didn't want to.
"I told you this would happen," J.M.'s voice echoed in his head as he sat at his desk, staring blankly at his unfinished work. "You're not as immune as you think."
Eli's hand trembled slightly as he picked up his pen, his thoughts wandering back to the moment when J.M. had kissed him. His lips still tingled from the touch, and every time he exhaled, he could almost feel the warmth of J.M.'s breath against his skin.
He had no control anymore. His mind was a battlefield, with J.M. at the center, pulling the strings, slowly wearing down every last bit of resistance that Eli had.
The worst part? He liked it.
Eli couldn't concentrate. Not when the world outside his window seemed to pulse with energy that mirrored his own chaotic feelings. His heart raced as though it was a prisoner in his chest, a constant reminder of everything he was trying to ignore.
Just when he thought he could escape the noise in his head, his phone buzzed.
It was a message from J.M.
"I think it's time we have another conversation, Eli. But this time, no running."
Eli's heart skipped a beat. There it was again the pull. He could feel J.M.'s presence even without seeing him, like a magnet drawing him in.
A sudden, overwhelming urge to ignore the message swept over him. He should ignore it. He should delete it and pretend like it never existed. But he didn't.
"I'm not running."
It was the only reply he could muster, his fingers moving before his mind could tell him to stop. As soon as he hit send, his stomach churned. What had he done? What was he getting himself into?
The phone buzzed again, and Eli's breath caught in his throat.
"Good. Meet me at the usual place. I'll be waiting.
The usual place. Eli knew exactly what J.M. meant.
It was the small, dimly lit café they'd met at for the first time. The place where the lines between what was real and what was just a game had blurred. It was a place that had always felt like the edge of something bigger, something dangerous. But even knowing that, Eli couldn't stop himself from agreeing.
He couldn't stop himself from wanting it.
It was late when Eli arrived, the streets deserted, the moonlight casting long shadows over the empty sidewalk. The café was quiet, the hum of conversation replaced with the low murmur of the barista behind the counter.
Eli's stomach twisted, nerves and anticipation tangled together in a knot. He wasn't sure why he had agreed to come here. He wasn't sure why he kept giving in to J.M., why every time the man called him, texted him, or simply appeared, Eli's resolve crumbled.
When he stepped inside, his eyes immediately found J.M. sitting at their usual table, his posture relaxed, his expression unreadable. The moment their gazes locked, Eli's heart did a strange flip in his chest.
J.M. didn't stand up. He didn't smile. He simply watched Eli with those intense eyes, as if waiting for him to make the first move.
"Sit," J.M. said softly, but there was an unspoken command in his voice that made Eli's legs move before he could think.
Without a word, Eli slid into the seat opposite him, the distance between them never feeling farther than it did now. The air seemed thick with the weight of everything unsaid.
"I see you've been thinking about it," J.M. began, his voice smooth, every word carefully calculated. "About us. About what's between us."
Eli looked down at the table, unable to meet J.M.'s gaze for fear of what he might find there. "There's nothing between us," he muttered, but the lie tasted bitter on his tongue.
J.M.'s smile was slow, knowing. "You're lying to yourself again, Eli. And we both know it."
Eli's fingers curled into fists at his sides, frustration bubbling inside him. "I'm not—"
"You're not ready to admit it yet, I know." J.M. leaned forward, his hands resting on the table, his eyes never leaving Eli's. "But you will be. Soon. Because no matter how hard you try to run, you can't outrun this."
A surge of anger rushed through Eli. "You think I'm some kind of toy for you to play with?" His voice shook with the weight of his emotions, but the words came out sharper than he intended.
J.M. didn't flinch. Instead, his smile deepened, like he had been expecting this. "I think you want to be played with," he said softly, his voice low and dangerous. "You've wanted it from the moment I walked into your life."
Eli's breath caught in his throat. He couldn't deny it—not the part of him that wanted J.M., that wanted to let go and just give in. It terrified him. The idea of losing control, of falling deeper into whatever this was, left him breathless with both fear and desire.
"You're wrong," Eli whispered, but there was no conviction in his words anymore.
J.M.'s eyes darkened. "You're lying again."
Eli stood up abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. "I need to go."
But before he could take a step, J.M. was on his feet, moving faster than Eli could react. His hand shot out and gripped Eli's wrist, pulling him back into the chair.
"Not yet," J.M. said, his voice low and insistent. "You're not leaving until we finish this."
Eli's pulse quickened, a cold sweat breaking out along the back of his neck. He wasn't sure if he was more afraid of the way J.M. was looking at him, or the way his own body was responding to the closeness.
He wanted to pull away. He wanted to escape. But something deep inside him whispered that maybe—just maybe—he wasn't ready to walk away from this.
J.M. leaned in, his breath warm against Eli's ear. "You're mine now, Eli. Whether you like it or not."
Eli's heart pounded in his chest, and as J.M. slowly let go of his wrist, it felt like the last thread holding him together had snapped.