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Her palm was still clamped over my mouth, her body pressed so close I could feel the towel straining against her curves. My heart was in my throat, and all I could think about was how soft her skin felt, how warm.
Evelyn's voice cut through again, firm but concerned. "Kai? Why did you shout like that? Is everything okay?"
Maya's eyes widened, panic flashing across her face. She shook her head violently, silently pleading with me not to say anything. My brain scrambled, searching for a way out. If Evelyn pushed the door open right now, she'd see Maya nearly naked in my room. That would be the end of me.
I gently pried her hand off my mouth, swallowing hard. "Uh—yeah! Everything's fine!" My voice cracked like a guilty teenager's. "I just… saw a spider."
There was a beat of silence on the other side of the door. Then Evelyn let out a small laugh. "A spider? I didn't know you were afraid of those."
I winced. "This one was... really big."
Maya gave me a look that said, Seriously? That's your excuse? But she stayed quiet, clutching the towel tighter.
"Well, do you want me to come in and help get rid of it?" Evelyn asked. Her tone was gentle, motherly, but the thought made my stomach drop. If she walked in now, she'd see everything.
"No!"
I said quickly, maybe too quickly. "No, I got it handled. Really. You don't have to."
Another pause. Then her voice came softer.
"Alright… if you're sure.
Have you seen Maya, by the way? I thought I heard her a minute ago."
My eyes flicked down at Maya, crouched low, still holding her towel, mouthing don't tell her. My throat went dry.
"No," I lied smoothly, surprising myself. "Haven't seen her."
There was a small sigh. "Okay then. Dinner's in an hour." Her footsteps moved away down the hall, fading until the silence was heavy again.
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, leaning against the wall. "God…"
Maya looked up at me, cheeks flushed. "What the hell are you doing back so soon? You were supposed to be at your friend's."
I rubbed the back of my neck. "Forgot my charger. Phone died."
Her eyes narrowed, suspicious, like she thought I was making excuses. Then she huffed, adjusting the towel with both hands as if it might fall again at any second. "Well, you could've knocked before barging in."
I blinked. "It's my room.I don't knock when entering "my room."
You're the one naked in here throwing my clothes around!"
She froze at that, biting her lip. "I was looking for one of your shirts," she muttered. "I thought you wouldn't be back so soon."
My gaze flicked down without meaning to, catching the way her chest rose and fell with every breath. The towel barely covered her. I forced my eyes upward, clenching my jaw. "Why my shirt? Don't you have your own?"
She glanced at the floor, suddenly shy. "I… I liked the one you wore the other day. It looked comfortable."
My mouth went dry again. Of course—the shirt I was wearing right now. She noticed it too because her eyes lifted, meeting mine, then darted to my chest. A faint pink crept up her neck.
"…Oh," she whispered, realizing. "You're wearing it."
The silence stretched thick between us. My mind screamed at me to look away, to stop imagining how easy it would be for that towel to slip just one more inch. But my body refused to listen.
She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Alright, um… do me a favor. Close your eyes."
"What?"
"Why?"
"Close them. I need to tie my towel properly before I leave."
I hesitated, every part of me screaming to resist. But I sighed, squeezing my eyes shut. "Fine. They're closed."
I heard her moving—soft shuffles, the whisper of fabric, the faint squeak of the wardrobe door. Every sound painted a picture in my head. I couldn't help it. I imagined her letting the towel fall completely, imagined her bending to pick up her clothes, breasts swaying freely, skin glistening from the shower. I imagined walking up behind her, hands sliding over her ass, her voice whispering my name—
Stop. Stop, Kai. She's basically family. Don't go there.
But the images wouldn't stop. My body tightened with heat, every muscle screaming to open my eyes, to steal just one more glance.
Seconds dragged into minutes. Finally, her voice broke the silence. "Okay. You can open them now."
I cracked one eye. The towel was secure again, wrapped tightly, her damp hair now tied back. She stood near the door, hands behind her back, looking almost normal, though her cheeks were still flushed.
"I'll, uh… see you at dinner," she mumbled, not meeting my eyes. She slipped out quickly, shutting the door behind her before I could reply.
And just like that, she was gone.
I collapsed onto my bed, covering my face with both hands. My heart wouldn't slow down. My mind replayed every detail—the curve of her ass when she turned, the bounce of her breasts when the towel slipped, the heat of her body pressed against mine when she covered my mouth.
Man, I was doomed.
I tried to shake it off, tried to remind myself: she was Maya, the girl who was now practically your sister, Evelyn's daughter, Sera's sister, not mine but close enough. Off limits. Completely off limits.
And yet… every time I closed my eyes, I saw her again. Naked. Soft. Perfect.
My imagination betrayed me, spinning out of control. I pictured her crawling onto the bed beside me, towel slipping away. Her lips parting, whispering my name. My hands on her waist, sliding up, squeezing those ridiculously soft breasts, her moans filling the room as she pressed closer—
I sat up quickly, shaking my head. "No. No, no, no." My voice cracked in the empty room.
But deep down, I knew I'd already crossed a line just by thinking it.
And it was only my first week back home.
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