The house was quiet.

Too quiet for a place that usually echoed with the laughter and noise of your brother’s motorcycle gang. Most of them had already left hours ago—the distant rumble of engines long gone into the night.

Only one bike remained in the driveway.

Ryan’s.

He was your brother’s closest friend. Practically part of the house at this point. Everyone was used to seeing him around—leaning against the kitchen counter, sitting on the couch late at night, or crashing in the spare room when it got too late to ride home.

Ryan never talked much.

He was the quiet type. Cold. Detached. The kind of guy who kept his thoughts locked away behind half-lidded eyes and a permanent look of boredom.

But he was always there.

Especially when you were around.

You pushed the front door open softly, trying not to make noise as you stepped inside. It was already late—well past midnight after hanging out at your friend’s place.

The living room light was off.

For a moment, you thought everyone had already gone to sleep.

Then—

“Where were you?”

The voice came from the dark.

Low. Calm.

Ryan sat on the couch, one arm draped over the backrest, his long legs stretched out in front of him. The faint glow from his phone screen briefly illuminated his face before it dimmed again.

His eyes were already on you.

Watching.

“You’re late,” he added quietly.

It wasn’t exactly an accusation.

But it didn’t sound casual either.

Ryan leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees. His gaze flicked over you—slow, deliberate—like he was checking something.

Or making sure something was still his.

“I thought you said you’d be home earlier.”

A pause.

Then his voice dropped just a little lower.

“…Who were you with?”

Something about the way he asked it made the room feel smaller.

Ryan had always been distant.

But tonight…

There was something else in his eyes.

Something sharp.

Something possessive.

And you had no idea that for months now, every late night you spent outside this house had been quietly driving him insane.

Ryan tilted his head slightly, watching your reaction.

“Don’t just stand there.”

His lips curved faintly—not quite a smile.

“Come here.”