Victoria stared at her bedroom ceiling, her body still humming with unresolved tension from the evening. James had left without even saying goodbye, disappearing into the night like their time together meant nothing. The frustration burned in her chest as she reached for her phone.
I can't sleep. Are you thinking about me?
The response came quickly.
Constantly.
Her chest tightened. The admission should have pleased her, yet it only made her more aggrieved. If he was thinking about her, if he wanted her as much as she suspected, then why had he walked away?
Then are you punishing me? Why'd you leave without kissing me goodnight?
Several minutes passed before his reply appeared.
I'm sorry. I didn't know where you were as it's my first time inside your house and I can't possibly punish you, you know that.
Victoria sighed, hating the situation more than she could express. Her body still thrummed with need, the torturous imagination of his hands on her skin made her feel like crying. She typed back quickly.
Goodnight.
She threw her phone across the room, forcing herself to close her eyes and will sleep to come.
The next morning brought an unexpected surprise. Victoria descended the stairs to find James in her kitchen, a small backpack at his feet, chatting easily with her father over coffee.
"James!" she said, unable to hide her shock.
"Good morning, Tori." His smile was warm, looking as if he had a good sleep the night before.
Her father looked up from his phone screen. "I invited James to join us for the family gathering. Hope you don't mind."
James shrugged when she looked at him questioningly. "Your father was very persuasive."
The drive to her aunt's house in the next city proved irritating beyond measure. Fabian monopolized James entirely, discussing everything from country's politics to sports statistics while Victoria remained trapped in the back seat with her mother. Every attempt to join the conversation was met with her father launching into another topic that captured James's attention.
Victoria watched the back of James's head, studying the way he nodded and responded to her father's endless questions. She wanted to reach forward and touch him, to remind him she was there, yet the presence of her parents made such gestures impossible.
At her aunt's house, the situation only worsened. Little Ethan bounded toward her the moment they arrived, his face lighting up with pure joy.
"Victoria! I missed you so much! Want to play hide and seek? Or we could do puzzles, or maybe we could look at my new dinosaur books?"
She knelt down and hugged him, trying to focus on his enthusiasm. "Of course, sweetheart. What do you want to do first?"
"Look at this!" Ethan pulled out a thick book filled with colorful illustrations. "This one's a Triceratops from the Cretaceous period. And this is a Tyrannosaurus Rex! They lived at the same time but the T-Rex was way bigger."
Yet even as Ethan chattered excitedly about his beloved dinosaurs, pointing out facts about the Cretaceous period with impressive knowledge for a child his age, Victoria found her attention drifting to where James sat with the adults. Her father continued his monopolization, asking about James's travel experiences, his thoughts on various investment opportunities, his opinions on everything under the sun.
"Victoria, you're not listening," Ethan complained, tugging on her sleeve. "I asked if you think the Allosaurus could beat a Stegosaurus in a fight."
"I'm sorry, Ethan. The Allosaurus was definitely the stronger predator. Tell me more about what you've learned."
She forced herself to engage with the little boy, examining dinosaur pictures and listening to his enthusiastic explanations about the different periods. Yet her eyes kept wandering to James, who seemed perfectly content to discuss market trends with her father while she played on the carpet like a child.
The family bonding continued through lunch and into the afternoon. Victoria participated in conversations, smiled at family jokes, and helped clear dishes, all while feeling increasingly disconnected from everything happening around her. Her mind remained fixed on James, on the way he fit so seamlessly into her family dynamic while she felt like an outsider looking in.
When they finally returned to the private beach house Victoria had purchased in the city, her frustration reached its peak. Her father immediately invited James to play lawn tennis on the back court, effectively whisking him away once again.
Victoria stood in the living room, watching them head outside with tennis rackets, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.
"You look ready to murder someone."
She turned to find her mother watching her.
"I'm fine, Mom."
"No, you're not. You've been sulking all day." Her mother settled onto the couch, patting the cushion beside her. "Come here. Let's talk about what's really bothering you."
Victoria remained standing, her jaw tight. "Nothing's bothering me."
"Okay but just so you know, you don't sound convincing neither look it. You've been shooting daggers at that poor boy all day, and it has nothing to do with your father talking to him." Her mother's voice carried that particular tone that meant she wouldn't be fooled by deflection. "Now sit down and tell me what's going on."
Victoria sank onto the couch, her composure finally cracking. The weight of everything, her confusion, her desperate need for James's attention pressed down on her like a physical force.
Her mother studied her face carefully, taking in every detail of her expression. After a long moment, understanding dawned in her eyes.
Victoria stared at her mother, uncertainty flickering across her features. "I'm not sure if I should share this information with you."
Samantha's expression softened. "That's your choice, sweetheart. I won't force you to tell me anything you're not comfortable sharing."
Victoria sighed, the weight of her frustration finally becoming too much to bear alone. "Promise me you won't tell Dad."
"I promise."
"I'm serious, Mom. I'll know if you did, and I swear I'll never confide in you about anything ever again."
Samantha recognized the steel in her daughter's voice, the same unwavering determination that had shaped her entire personality. She knew Victoria well enough to understand that this wasn't an idle threat. If she betrayed this confidence, her daughter would shut her out completely.
"I understand. I give you my word."
Victoria gave her one last pointed look before opening up. "When I accepted my feelings for James and we started our relationship, that's when I awakened to my desires. For the first time in my life, I finally craved the touch of a man. I've been trying to get him to... to be with me physically, but he refuses. He rejects every single one of my advances because he wants to build up emotional connections first."
"Mom, am I not gorgeous?"
"You are honey."
"Then why…" her voice grew more agitated as she continued. "I get that he wants us to be emotionally invested, I really do, but the touch of a loved one is also a love language. It's not like I'm asking for something meaningless. This is about us, about our connection."