Awkward Tension

My stomach twisted violently as Nicholas finally looked up at me. His hand froze for a split second, but he immediately adjusted. Meanwhile, I was on the verge of collapsing right there in the dining room. My fingers trembled as I gripped the back of the chair beside me for support. He was supposed to be my uncle, whom I had never met before. And yet, last night…

“Cassie, why are you standing there? Come have a cup of coffee. You came in looking like a mess earlier this morning. You should have something and then soak yourself in a warm bath afterward. You look homeless right now.”

My mother was merciless with the information release. She kept going as if a visitor wasn't sitting in front of her.

I forced my lips into what I hoped was a neutral expression and slid into the chair opposite him, my skin burning under his gaze.

“Morning,” I mumbled, reaching for a glass of water. My throat felt like sandpaper.

Nicholas, on the other hand, looked completely unaffected after his first shock. He took another bite of his toast with a relaxed posture. No sign of recognition, awkward stiffness, or shock. As if last night had never even happened.

I hated how calm he looked while my insides were twisting into knots.

“So,” my mother started, setting down her teacup, “Chloe and Mia said you left early last night. I thought you'd stay out longer with Ryan before coming back.”

I nearly choked on my water.

Nicholas raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued

“Uh, yeah,” I said, my voice strained. “I just… wasn't feeling it anymore, so I came home.”

My mother hummed. “That's surprising. You girls were looking forward to it so much. It was as if you had something else planned for the night.”

Oh, my freaking God! Mom should have learned to take the hints, but she just wouldn't mind and continued spilling.

I felt Nicholas's gaze still on me, studying my every move. Did he know? Did he realize who I was?

My appetite vanished. I pushed my eggs around the plate, hyper-aware of every movement he made. The way his fingers curled around his coffee cup. The way his lips tilted ever so slightly at the corners. The way he wasn't saying a damn word about last night.

The silence stretched between us like a taut rope, and I couldn't take it anymore.

“So,” I blurted out, forcing myself to look at Nicholas. “How long are you staying?”

My mother looked at me sharply. That shouldn't have been my response. I haven't even greeted him.

“Did you meet him already?” she asked, chewing on her bread, and my breath got caught in my throat.

“What do you mean meet? I am seeing him for the first time?”

My response was like an attack, but that didn't stop my mom from asking why I didn't say my greetings.

“Thank you for having me. I will be staying for a few days,” he answered. His voice was smooth and unbothered. “Your mother was kind enough to offer me a place while I handle some business in town.”

A few days. That is for the better; I just have to pull through.

I swallowed hard. I had to survive a few days under the same roof as the man I had given myself to without knowing who he was. A man who was now sitting across from me like nothing had happened.

My mother smiled. “I'm sure you two will get along just fine. I have always counted on him during our university days, so I am sure he will take good care of you, too.”

Nicholas met my gaze again, and this time, there was definitely amusement peeping in his dark eyes. He knew exactly what he was doing and was enjoying watching me squirm.

I clenched my jaw, shoving a piece of bacon into my mouth so I wouldn't say something I'd regret.

****

I spent the entire day locked in my room, avoiding Nicholas like the plague. It wasn't easy knowing he was just downstairs, lounging in the living room like he belonged there.

He sounded like someone that wanted to have his way no matter, the dominant type in the meetings he had as he sat there.

Every time I imagined stepping out, I pictured his piercing gaze following my every move, dissecting me like he already knew every inch of my body. It was so uncomfortable and annoying.

“He should be in his room; why is he glued here?”

My mom was sleeping in her room. She was off work and decided to sleep all the stress away. My mind flashed towards my friends, they were the only saving grace I could think of.

Calling Chloe and Mia seemed like the perfect escape plan, but they crushed my hopes with a single text.

“We went to the countryside for a school project. We will be back in two days!”

Great. Even my best friends had abandoned me. As if that wasn’t enough, Mum got called to work for an urgent staff meeting with the governor. I whined about following her, but she refused flatly, saying my uncle would be bored at home alone.

Who cares about his ass? I just wanted to escape the house badly. The house was empty, except for Nicholas and me.

The hours dragged on, evening stretched into night, and my stomach twisted in hunger. I could no longer ignore the hunger gnawing at my insides. I had to eat, so I summoned the courage to leave my room.

I cracked open my door and peeked out. The hallway was quiet. The dim lighting added to my paranoia, making every shadow seem like him. Swallowing hard, I tiptoed down the stairs. The living room was dark, save for the faint glow of the television screen.

Thankfully, the couch was empty.

I hurried to the kitchen, letting out a breath of relief once I reached the fridge. The cold air rushed against my skin as I grabbed a pack of yogurt and some crackers. That should sustain me through the night.

Just as I closed the fridge door, my body stiffened.

He was there.

Nicholas stood right in front of me, arms folded. His eyes locked onto mine like a predator that had finally cornered his prey. I sucked in a breath, my fingers tightening around the yogurt container.

“I wonder how long you would pretend for, Rose.”

His voice was deep and smooth, laced with something I shouldn't have found intoxicating, but I did. My body reacted before my mind could shut it down. My stomach flipped, my thighs clenched involuntarily, and a heat I despised curled between my legs.

I shouldn't have remembered his touch.

The way his hands had roamed my body that night was firm and possessive. The way his mouth had claimed every part of me made me surrender without a second thought. My body betrayed me then, just as it was betraying me now.