“Would you like something to drink?” I asked them.
“Just a glass of water for Anna,” Mother replied.
I went straight to the kitchen, poured a glass of cold water, and handed it to her. She smiled. God, that smile. The some smile that used to follow me around the house back then, the one that crept into my dreams and ruined me,
“Thanks,” she said softly.
“No problem,” I replied, sitting on the single couch opposite them, making sure there was enough physical space between us.
My apartment was big, more than enough for just one person. Three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom and a view of the city skyline. A modern kitchen, an open-plan living and dining area, a glass table I barely ever used, and a massive block leather sectional I’d picked out because I didn’t want anything that looked too cozy. No maid, no cook, no company. Just me, the privacy, and my work. I liked it that way. I needed it that way.
Until now.
Mom started tallding about how Anna just got accepted into Nivelle University, right here in the city, and how it was a huge deal because the school was insanely competitive. I nodded. I was proud of her. I really was. Despite everything, despite my own twisted thoughts, I still saw her as the same determined girl who never gave up anything.
“Congratulations,” I told her, still not looking at her face. on
“Thanks, Ryan,” she said again, this time sounding a little nervous, and that made something in my chest tighten.
And then Mom dropped the bomb.
“She’ll be staying with you.”
My heart damn near stopped.
“What?!”
I didn’t mean to sound that loud, but it just come out. I sat up straighter, eyes darting between the two of them.
“Anna… what? No. No, Mom. That’s not… that can’t happen.”
Mom frowned. “Why not?”
“She can stay in the dorms,” I said quickly, trying not to sound like a man losing his mind. “Or I can get her her own apartment. Somewhere close to campus. Somewhere safe.”
“The dorms are full. And I don’t want her living alone. This place is safe, close to the university, and I know you’ll take care of her. That’s what big brothers do.”
I almost laughed. I almost fucking laughed out loud.
Take care of her?
Fuck, if only she knew.
If she knew what the fuck I thought about Anna. If she knew what I dreamed about. If she knew that I had to take cold showers and jerk off alone at night just to stop myself from losing control. If she knew that I hadn’t stepped foot in that damn house for five years because every single day I was around Anna made me feel like I was going insane.
If she knew that the reason I couldn’t be her big brother anymore was because my body wanted her in ways I couldn’t explain, couldn’t justify, couldn’t control.
She wouldn’t be saying any of this.
“Mom,” I stood up. My head was spinning. I dragged a hand through my hair, paced to the window and back. “You can’t do this. You don’t understand. I can’t-“
“Why not? You’ve got the space, Ryan. You’ve always looked out for her. She’s your little sister. What’s the big deal?”
She said it so easily. Little sister. As if that was all she ever was to me. As if I hadn’t been haunted by the memory of her lips on mine for the past five fucking years. As if my body didn’t react to her every time I thought about that kiss.
“It’s just… it’s not ideal,” I said tightly, not looking at Anna, not even glancing her way.
Mom sighed. “Ryan, please. I just want her somewhere I know she’ll be safe. Can you do that for me?”
Safe?
I was the danger.
I clenched my fists and turned to Anna for the first time since she walked in. She was sitting there, hands folded on her lap, eyes wide and hopeful. God, she looked so damn beautiful it hurt. My wolf stirred inside me, restless, pushing against the wall I’d been trying so hard to keep up.
“Is that what you want?” I asked, my voice low, strained, row.
Her eyes met mine and she nodded.
“Yes.”
And just like that… I knew I was fucked.
ANNA’S POV
It had been exactly four days since I started living alone with Ryan and I hadn’t seen him, not even once. It was honestly starting to feel like he disappeared or something. Like he just vanished from the surface of the earth. After that day Mom brought me to his place, and stayed over till the next morning just to help me settle into the apartment and complete my school registration, he never come back. I mean, literally, from the moment she left till now, nothing. No door sounds, no footsteps, no sight of Ryan.
Every morning when I woke up, he wasn’t there. Every night before I went to sleep, still nothing. I even started wondering if he was sleeping at the office or something. I checked the fridge, it remained untouched. His room door? Always closed and probably empty because it looked exactly the same anytime I peeked in. I didn’t want to believe he was purposely avoiding me, but… what else could it be?
I knew Ryan. I’ve known him since I was a little girl. He likes his space. He likes his privacy. Even back then when we were all under the same roof, he’d always keep a distance from me. Not in a bad way, he still protected me, helped me with stuff, stopped bullies in school without even letting me know it was him, but he never got too close. It was always like he was treating me like I was some fragile glass he couldn’t afford to touch too much. Or maybe it was more like electricity. Like I could zap him if he got too close. I always noticed it. I just never had the guts to talk about it.
But now… now I couldn’t stop thinking about it. And it was eating me up inside because I really wanted to see him. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to hug him. I wonted to apologize for kissing him that day five years ago. God, that kiss. That stupid, desperate, embarrassing kiss. I wanted to fix everything. Make things okay between us again. I wanted us to go back to the way we used to be, at least the version of us where we still shared conversations. Even if he kept his distance from me, he still laughed sometimes, still asked how I was treated me like I was important. doing, still
During the five years he was away, he never once picked up my calls. Not once. I always waited for the times Mom would be on the phone with him just so I could catch a few seconds of his voice in the background. And anytime she tried to pass the phone to me, he would just end the call. Like he couldn’t even stand the idea of hearing my voice. What hurt the most was that he never even gave me a reason. He just… shut me out.
So yeah, when Mom told me the dorms were full and I had to stay with Ryon, I was secretly excited. I didn’t even care that he might be uncomfortable. I just wanted to be near him again. I thought maybe if we were in the same space, we could fix things. Even if he didn’t forgive me, maybe he could at least talk to me. Look at me. Anything. And yeah, I wanted to attend Nivelle University because of him. I wanted to be close to him. That was the truth. I fought so hard to get into this school because I just wanted to be near him again.
The moment we arrived of his apartment, and he opened the door….
God…
He was in nothing but a towel. I swear I forgot how to breathe. Ryan was no longer the eighteen-year-old boy I remembered. He was taller, broader, more muscular… he looked like a damn man. A full grown, deep-voiced, strong-jawed man. And when he looked at me…
Jesus…
My whole body went stiff. My thighs clenched on instinct. His eyes, his voice, his whole aura just made my chest tight.
And then when he gave me that glass of water and our hands touched… I almost dropped the cup. It was like everything inside me melted. I’m not exaggerating. I literally had to hold my breath. I kept telling myself to calm down but my body wouldn’t listen.
And then when he said, “Congratulations,” after Mom told him about my admission, I wanted to cry. Not because of the words but because of the voice. That damn voice. I wanted to bottle it up and just listen to it every night before bed. It had gotten deeper. Rougher. Like velvet mixed with gravel.
But all that high I was feeling just come crashing down the moment Mom said, “And she’ll be staying with you.”
The way Ryan’s face changed. The way his eyes widened. The way he snapped. It was like I saw a demon crawl into him. He was so angry. So shocked. He started arguing with Mom immediately, talking about dorm options, suggesting she get me an apartment closer to compus, literally everything except letting me stoy with him. And I just sat there like an idiot, pretending like I wasn’t dying inside. Pretending like I couldn’t feel the humiliation.
But what hurt the most was when he turned to me and asked me if that was really what I wanted. I could tell he was hoping I’d say no. That I’d help him get out of it. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. Because I really wanted to stay. I wanted to be close to him.
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