DON’T STOP

LilaI stared out of the car window, watching the city skyline shrink in the rearview mirror, tall buildings giving way to endless stretches of highway and then, eventually, to flat, dusty roads lined with nothing but fields and the occasional cow. My arms were crossed tight over my chest, earbuds in but no music playing. I just wanted the silence, even if it was fake.I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to spend my entire summer in some tiny rural town with an uncle I barely knew, cut off from my friends, my life, and everything that actually mattered. I was a city girl—born and raised in apartments with sirens at night and coffee shops on every corner. Not… this.“Lila, honey, come on,” Mom said from the front passenger seat, twisting around to give me that overly bright smile she always used when she knew I was mad. “It’s only two months. You’ll have fun. Fresh air, open space—”I didn’t look at her. Just kept watching the world blur by.Dad gripped the wheel tighter, eyes fixe

LilaHis sharp jaw shadowed with stubble, dark hair messy like he’d been running his hands through it, eyes a piercing storm-gray even in the dim light. Straight nose, full mouth pulled tight in pleasure, brows drawn together in concentration. He was built like the cowboys in old movies—wide shoulders tapering to a narrow waist, abs cut deep, every line of him hard-earned muscle from years of real work. A faint scar ran across one pec. His chest rose and fell fast, skin gleaming faintly with sweat.And his hand never stopped moving, slow and firm, like he didn’t care, or hadn’t decided yet if I stayed or ran.Our eyes locked. His didn’t widen in shock. Didn’t flinch. They just darkened, pupils blowing wide as he took me in, standing there in my thin sleep shorts and tank top, phone light shaking in my trembling hand, mouth open like an idiot.Poor me, and my fragile mental health.I’d just walked in on my uncle jerking off on my very first night here. Heat flooded my face, my chest, l

LilaThe truck ambled along the rutted track, slower than before, like Ryder was drawing out every second on purpose. The gate was behind us now, the world beyond it fading into endless stretches of golden fields and distant fences. No one was around. Just us, the low hum of the engine, and the weight of his words pressing down on me.What he said came back into my memory. Explore? Really? Help him? Delaney’s husband, my step-uncle, is not sexually active, or what?My stomach twisted, a mix of nerves and something hotter, more insistent. I shifted in my seat again, the cottage skirt brushing against my thighs like a reminder of how this all started—his command, my reluctant obedience. Why had I listened? Why was I still here, letting this conversation hang instead of demanding he turn around?He glanced over, his hand drifting from the wheel to rest on the bench seat between us. Close enough that I could feel the heat from his skin. He leaned in just a fraction, enough to make the cab

RyderWhen she whispered “I will”, it felt like a secret she wasn’t supposed to share.The two small words, and they hit me harder than a kick from a spooked horse. My chest tightened. I could feel my pulse hammering in my throat, in my wrists, everywhere. For years I’d been numb down there—cold, useless, like part of me had died and nobody noticed. Doctors called it stress, trauma, or whatever bullshit label fit the bill. I called it punishment. Then Lila showed up, all wide eyes and city softness, and one accidental touch in the dark hallway last night had cracked something open. Just like that. Hard again. Alive again. And now here she was, legs trembling apart for me in the front seat of my truck, skirt hiked up, breath shaky, trusting me not to break her.I didn’t deserve that trust. But damn if I wasn’t going to earn it.I kept my eyes on her face the whole time. I couldn’t look away. Her cheeks were flushed deep pink, lips parted, and those big eyes darting between mine and the

Lila I bit my bottom lip. My fingers fidgeted with the hem of my skirt. “Does it… hurt?”Ryder let out a low chuckle, more breath than sound. “Not hurt. Just… insistent.”My eyes flicked down again, lingering. Then back to his. “Because of me?”He held my gaze. The truck was still, engine rumbling softly under us, but the world felt pinned in place. “Yeah. Because of you.”Silence wrapped around us again. My breathing picked up. So did his.I shifted closer on the bench seat, just an inch, but my knee brushed his. Heat shot through me at the contact. “Do you want me to… help?”His throat worked. He searched my face with those gray eyes, wide and searching. No teasing. No games. Just him, waiting. “Lila… you don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for.”“I know.” I whispered it. Then, softer, “But I want to try.”He rubbed a hand over his jaw, buying a second. “Only if you’re sure. And we go slow. You stop anytime. Say the word.”I nodded, quick and small.He reached over and killed