All Chapters of Whispers Through the Wall: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Ethan had always thought of himself as a rational man. Someone who didn’t let emotions cloud his judgment. He prided himself on self-control, on the ability to stay detached when necessary.But as he stood there, frozen outside Sienna’s apartment, his knuckles tightening, he realized—he had never been more wrong.The door was slightly ajar. A sliver of golden light spilled into the dim hallway, casting a thin line across the floor. He should have turned around. He should have walked back to his apartment and slammed the door shut behind him, erasing whatever he was about to see from his mind before it destroyed him.But his feet wouldn’t move.Instead, they carried him forward, one step at a time, until he was close enough to see inside.At first, it was just a flicker of movement. The curve of her bare shoulder, the way her dark hair cascaded down her back, loose and wild. The silk strap of her dress slid from her arm, hanging precariously, as if it could slip off at any moment.And

Ethan felt her gaze before he saw it. A weight, invisible but suffocating, pressed into his back as he reached the stairwell landing. His steps slowed, just for a second, betraying him. Then, the softest sound. A creak. His jaw clenched as he turned his head—just slightly, just enough. And there she was. Sienna. Framed in the dim glow of her apartment hallway, leaning against the doorframe as if she had all the time in the world. Her dark waves were a tousled mess, strands slipping over her bare shoulder, framing her sharp collarbone. The oversized T-shirt she wore barely reached her thighs, hanging off one shoulder, revealing smooth, tempting skin. Ethan swallowed hard. Damn her. She had just been with another man. He had seen it, heard it. His pulse had throbbed with every broken sound she made, every soft moan slipping through those walls, and still— Still. She stood there now, like a ghost haunting him, like she knew exactly what she was doing to him. His knuckles tig

Ethan tried to ignore her. Tried to erase the image of her from his mind. Tried to forget the way she had looked at him—the way her lips had curved around his name like it was some kind of forbidden pleasure. But it was impossible. Everywhere he went, she was there. Not physically—he made damn sure to avoid her. He took the long way to the stairs instead of passing by her door. He ignored the temptation to linger by the wall when he knew she was home. He even kept his headphones in at night, blasting white noise just to drown out the possibility of hearing her again. But it wasn’t enough. She was in his thoughts. In his bones. In the flickering neon lights that cast shadows against his window. In the scent of cigarette smoke that drifted faintly through the vents, making his stomach twist. And worst of all, she was in his dreams. Ethan lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, his sheets twisted around his legs. His body was hot, his mind restless. Every time he closed his eyes,

Ethan paced the length of his apartment, jaw clenched, fingers raking through his already-messy hair. His mind was a battlefield—logic warring against impulse, reason struggling against the raw, unsettling emotions Sienna stirred in him.He should confront her.Demand to know what the hell she was playing at.Call her out for the mind games, for the way she toyed with him like he was just another man caught in her web.But every time he thought about marching over there, his steps faltered.Because what would he even say?Why do you do this? Why did you say my name that night? Why do you look at me like that, like you’re waiting for me to break?He groaned, rubbing a hand over his face.This was ridiculous. He barely knew her, yet she had this power over him, like she had wormed her way beneath his skin, unraveling him from the inside out.A knock at the door sent a jolt through his body.For a brief, traitorous second, he thought it was her.His heart slammed against his ribs as he t

Ethan didn’t sleep. He couldn’t sleep.Sienna’s words lingered in his head, looping over and over again like a curse."Do you wish you were?"The thought festered, clawing at his insides. The way she’d said it—so soft, so knowing—had made something inside him snap.He didn’t know when exactly he made the decision to confront her, but by the time the sun started rising, he found himself standing outside her door, fists clenched at his sides.This was a mistake. He knew it.And yet, he knocked anyway.A long moment passed. Then another.Just as he was about to turn away, the door cracked open.Sienna stood there, wrapped in nothing but an oversized T-shirt that barely skimmed her thighs. Her hair was a mess, lips slightly parted, eyes still heavy with sleep.For a second, Ethan forgot how to breathe.Then, her lips curled into a lazy smirk.“Well, well. Look who finally came knocking.”He clenched his jaw, pushing past the heat creeping up his neck. “Can we talk?”Sienna leaned against