I should have learned my lesson by now.
I should have known better than to try and tease Mehul.
Because every time I pushed—
He pushed back harder.
And now?
Now, I was stuck in a car with him.
And Mehul?
He was done playing nice.
The moment we got into the car, the tension was too much.
Mehul started driving. Calm. Focused.
Like he wasn't completely ruining my life.
Meanwhile, I was sitting stiffly in the passenger seat, trying to focus on literally anything else.
The air conditioning? Too low.
The streetlights outside? Too distracting.
Mehul's hand resting casually on the gear shift? Way too unfair.
I exhaled. Needed to do something.
So, naturally—I made the worst possible decision.
I reached out.
Let my fingers brush over the back of his hand.
Slow. Light. Just a test.
Mehul didn't react immediately.
Didn't even glance at me.
He just kept driving.
Like he wasn't completely aware of what I was doing.
Like he wasn't waiting to see how far I'd take it.
I dragged my fingertips up slowly, tracing the veins on his hand.
And that?
That was the moment I felt it.
The way his breath hitched—just slightly.
The way his grip on the steering wheel tightened.
The way his entire body tensed for half a second.
I smirked. Finally.
"You're not as unaffected as you pretend to be," I murmured.
Mehul hummed. Still calm. Still composed.
And then—he pulled the car over.
…Oh.
Oh no.
The second the car was parked, Mehul turned to face me.
Expression calm. Unbothered.
Like he wasn't about to completely end me.
Then—he leaned in.
Too close. Way too close.
I barely had time to react before he murmured:
"You want to play this game, Vihaan?"
I swallowed. "I—"
His hand brushed against my knee.
Slow. Deliberate. Dangerous.
And just when I thought he would do more—
He didn't.
He just sat there.
Watching.
Waiting.
Letting me feel the weight of it.
I exhaled, gripping the edge of my seat.
Because this wasn't fair.
This wasn't just flirting anymore.
This was him, proving a point.
That I had never stood a chance against him.
That he had been winning this game all along.
I clenched my jaw. "Mehul."
He hummed. "Hmm?"
I hated him.
(I did not hate him.)
And the worst part?
I wanted him to keep going.