10

Arlyn

I stood there for several long seconds after Reid disappeared down the hallway, my mind blank except for the echo of his footsteps and the small, confused meow from whatever tiny creature he had carried. A kitten. Reid, the same man who had looked at me like I was a problem he wished someone else would solve, had been holding a fluffy little animal like it was the most normal thing in the world.

It made him seem softer. Dangerous. Complicated.

I did not want complicated.

I forced myself to start walking toward the stairs, pretending my pulse had not spiked just from seeing him half dressed. The house was too quiet on this end, every sound amplified. The faint creak of the floor under my socks. The distant clatter of dishes from the kitchen downstairs. The hum of the heating system.

The entire time, all I could think about was the way his eyes had dragged over me. Slow. Intentional. Like he was checking if I had changed overnight.

I reached the bottom floor and inhaled the warm scent of food. Something buttery and comforting with a hint of herbs. My stomach grumbled. I had barely eaten the day before with all the drama, and apparently my body had decided to remind me of that fact now.

As I walked into the dining room, I saw Ella first. She was perched on the edge of a chair, scrolling through her phone with a look of mild annoyance. Probably because no one had paid her enough attention in the last two minutes.

She looked up and blinked when she saw me.

"Oh. You are awake."

"Good morning to you too." I replied, pulling out the chair across from her.

She tilted her head. "It is literally one in the afternoon."

"Then good afternoon."

She rolled her eyes and dropped her phone onto the table with a soft thud. "Mom said you freaked out last night. I would have paid money to see Reid carrying you like a sack of potatoes."

Heat hit my cheeks instantly. "I did not freak out."

"Oh, come on. A full-grown man picked you up, carried you up the stairs, and put you to bed. That is not nothing."

"It was nothing." I insisted, even though my face probably said otherwise.

Ella leaned forward, smirking like she knew every lie that had ever existed. "You know, for someone who claims she does not care, you sure turn red whenever his name comes up."

"I am not red."

"You are tomato red."

I groaned and put my forehead on the table. This was already too much.

A soft laugh drifted from the doorway. I jolted upright.

Reid was walking in, still shirtless, though now he had a flannel draped loosely over his shoulders like he remembered halfway that clothes existed. The kitten was cradled against his chest, a tiny white puffball with mismatched eyes.

He stopped when he noticed me staring. I immediately looked away, pretending to study the salt shaker like it was the most fascinating object ever created.

Ella gasped. "Oh my God, what is that?"

Reid raised a brow at her. "A cat."

"I can see that." She got up, walked closer, and squinted. "Where did it come from?"

"Back garden." He set the kitten gently on the table, then picked up a napkin to wipe its paws. "It was crying under the back porch. Probably abandoned."

Ella softened instantly. "Aww. Poor baby."

I watched quietly. Something warm tugged inside my chest. His hands were gentle as he cleaned the tiny creature, and when the kitten curled against his palm with a small purr, he let out the smallest smile. Something subtle. Barely there. But real.

I should not have noticed how beautiful that smile was.

I really should not have noticed.

Ella reached over and scratched the kitten behind the ears. "Are you keeping it?"

"No." He lifted his gaze to me for a moment, unreadable. "It will get attached if it stays too long. I will find a shelter after the fundraiser tonight."

My mom walked in then, heels clicking against the floor, perfectly dressed like she was going to a photo shoot. "Oh good. Everyone is here. Arlyn, sweetheart, did you eat yet?"

"Not yet."

"Good. The chef made that pasta you love."

She smiled at Reid next, her expression soft but cautious. He gave her a small nod, polite but distant.

I watched the exchange and felt a strange ache in my chest. They were still strangers. Still dancing around each other. Still unsure where they belonged in this new blended version of our lives.

Once food was served, Ella launched into some story about her friend getting into a fight with her ex-boyfriend, and my mom pretended to listen while sneaking glances at Reid, probably hoping he would join the conversation. He did not. He ate quietly, focusing on the kitten that had now fallen asleep on a folded towel beside him.

At some point his gaze drifted toward me again. Not hostile. Not warm. Just watching. Observing. As if he was trying to figure out what kind of person I was.

I looked down at my plate, fighting the thudding in my chest.

After lunch, everyone dispersed. Ella skipped off to go get her nails redone because apparently the shade of red she had chosen two days ago was now "emotionally exhausting." My mom rushed upstairs to get ready for the fundraiser. And Reid, of course, collected the kitten and headed toward the back of the house.

I should have left him alone.

I knew that.

But something pulled me toward the glass doors leading out to the yard.

I stepped outside. The cold air immediately bit at my skin, crisp and sharp. The sky was an overcast gray that somehow made the garden look even more beautiful.

Reid was sitting on the back steps with the kitten in his lap, stroking its head slowly. The contrast of his large hand against its tiny body made my heart twist.

He noticed me and paused. "You need something?"

His tone was not rude. Just neutral.

"No." I wrapped my arms around myself. "I just came for air."

He nodded once and looked back at the kitten. For a few seconds we stood in silence, the kind of quiet that felt heavy and delicate at the same time.

I swallowed. "It likes you. The kitten, I mean."

"It likes warmth." He shrugged, though his thumb still brushed its fur with more care than he probably intended anyone to notice.

I stepped closer without thinking. "Do you find a lot of strays around here?"

"Sometimes. Usually raccoons." His lips twitched faintly. "This one is nicer."

Another silence settled. This one warmer. Softer.

Finally he spoke again. "You should get some rest. You look tired."

I blinked. "Are you saying I look bad?"

He met my eyes directly, steady and unflinching. "No. Just tired."

Something fluttered inside me, unsteady and reckless.

I nodded. "Right. I will go do that."

As I turned to leave, the kitten let out a tiny mew, and for a moment I wished I were small enough to be gathered gently into Reid’s hands like that. Safe. Protected. Warm.

I pushed the thought away quickly.

I could not afford thoughts like that. Not about him. Not about the man who was now technically my stepbrother. Not about the man who looked at me like he was torn between curiosity and something he refused to name.

I walked back inside, but the feeling stayed with me.