I lifted my head slowly, eyes still on the ground. “Because she’s the daughter of my mom’s best friend. Her parents died in a car crash. My mom made a promise on that women’s grave that she’d take care of her like her own doughter. And she did. That promise became her fucking mantra. ‘Protect Anna like she’s your blood, Ryan. Her mom trusted me. She trusted us.
Chris didn’t say anything.
I rubbed at my jaw, clenching it hard. “So yeah. She’s not my sister. But she is. She’s everything my mom raised her to be. Everything I was warned never to touch. And now she’s back, and she’s my…”
I stopped myself, staring at nothing.
“She’s your what?”
I shook my head. “Doesn’t matter.”
“Bullshit. You’re telling me that same girl you went years obsessing over-the same one you couldn’t even jerk off without thinking of-is back under your roof, and you’re just gonna pretend nothing’s happening?”
“I’m not pretending.”
“Then what are you doing?”
“Fighting. Fighting the bond.”
“Fuck. Is she your mate??!” he asked, and I groaned.
“Shit! That’s deep man. That’s why you can’t sleep?”
I nodded slowly. “Four nights now. No sleep. I can’t close my eyes without seeing her face. Without wanting her. I fucking hate myself for it, Chris. I hate myself for wanting her the way I do. I hate that I want to claim her so bad, I felt like I was going to rip my own skin off if I didn’t.”
Chris just stored, not saying a damn word.
“You ever thought about just telling your parents?” he asked eventually. “Like, hey, I know she was adopted and all, but she’s my mate and I’m in love with her? Maybe they’d understand?”
“My dad might. He found out my mom was his mate when they were step-siblings. Didn’t stop him. He didn’t even ask questions. He just took what was his.”
“And your mom?”
I laughed, bitter and sharp. “She’d lose her fucking mind. She made a promise, Chris. To a dead woman. And me touching Anna would be like spitting on that promise. Like defiling something she swore to protect.”
“You really think your mom would see it that way?”
“I know she would.”
I leaned back, ran both hands down my face like I was trying to erase the last few years of my life.
“So what now?” Chris asked. “You just gonna keep letting her drive you crazy while you walk around half-hard and sleep-deprived?”
“I told her to move out.
“You what??!!!”
“I told her I got her an apartment. Somewhere close to her college. Somewhere safe.”
Chris blinked. “Ryan! Jesus!”
“That was the only way out of this mess Chris. I almost…”
“You almost what?”
“Never mind.”
“Ryan, don’t tell me you almost fucked your sister.”
Chrisl
“Wow.” He shook his head, clearly stunned. “So is she okay with that?”
I looked down at my hands. “No. She cried. Said she liked it here. Said she wanted to stay.
“Shit.”
“But she has to go. Because I can’t fucking control myself.”
Everything was quiet. I could feel the air around me pressing down.
“You know,” Chris said slowly, “I always thought you were just picky. Or maybe asexual or something. But now I get it. You weren’t uninterested. You were just already hooked. On one girl. And now she’s back, and you’re losing your mind “
I didn’t reply.
“So what are you gonna do?”
“Sleep,” I muttered. “And pray to every fucking god out there that when I wake up, she’s no longer on my mind.”
Chris stood up, grabbed a blanket, and tossed it over my head,
“You’re hopeless, bro. But alright. Sleep. I won’t say anything else.”
And I let my body sink into the couch, my eyes finally sliding shut… knowing damn well sleep wouldn’t fix any of this, not until I have her trembling beneath me.
ANNA’S POV
“But seriously, that guy really likes you.
That was Sasha, my new friend, the girl I met on my second day of school. We were walking out of class, finally done with our last lecture for the day, and it was already 6 p.m. The sun was starting to dip, but I wasn’t really thinking about the time. I was still replaying Ryan’s words from this morning over and over in my head like a broken record.
Sasha nudged me as we walked. “Are you even listening?
I blinked. “What?”
She laughed. “That guy, Leo or Liam or whatever his name is, the one who’s always offering to carry your bog. I’m telling you, he really likes you.”
I shrugged, not even trying to hide the blank look on my face. “Well, I don’t like him.”
She gasped. “Girl, you’re hot. And you make most guys trip just by existing. They’re all over you. Literally. Like flies on sugar. Pick one already.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t want them.”
And I didn’t. I just didn’t. None of them mattered. None of them could make me feel a damn thing. I kept trying, kept smiling politely, kept pretending I was open to something new, but I wasn’t. My mind, my heart, my entire being was still stuck in that damn house, with him.
Sasha sighed, linking her arm with mine as we kept walking. She was this super outgoing, loud type of girl who somehow mode everyone want to be around her. We clicked from the moment we sat next to each other during our first lecture. Since then, we’d been walking to classes together, hanging out during lunch breaks, sharing notes. She stayed at the dorm, though. I didn’t.
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