Chapter Two

Yubi. 

The first night was worse than I imagined it would be. .

I kept telling myself to act normal. To move through the house like this sudden, twisted family arrangement was completely ordinary. 

But normal was a lie. Every glance, every accidental brush of his shoulder, every low rumble of his voice made my heart skip a beat and my body betray me.

I had stayed in my room most of the evening, pretending to unpack, pretending the world was fine. 

Trey hadn’t come up, not immediately. I heard him moving around downstairs, the faint scrape of furniture, the low hum of music from the living room. But it wasn’t the sound of him moving casually, it was deliberate, calculated, like he was trying to avoid me and failing.

Eventually, hunger won over my nervousness. I tiptoed down to the kitchen, hoping the lights would hide the turmoil in my expression. I opened the fridge, grabbed some juice, and tried to ignore the sudden, sharp intake of breath behind me.

“Trey?” My voice wavered. I didn’t turn immediately, though my body screamed that I should.

He was leaning against the counter, his arms crossed, his jaw tight. His dark eyes scanned me, and I felt exposed under the intensity of that gaze. 

He didn’t say anything at first, he just watched me like I was some puzzle he couldn’t solve.

“Don’t sneak around in your own home,” he finally said, his tone low, almost teasing, but edged with something dangerous.

I swallowed hard. “I’m not” My voice broke. “I’m just thirsty and I didn't want to wake up anyone.”

He smirked, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Sure.” He stepped closer. My heart skipped. His presence alone quiet, tense, impossible, made me aware of every inch of my own body.

I tried to pull away, but the fridge door was behind me. “Trey, we shouldn’t be doing this. Not like this,” I whispered, my hands trembling.

He tilted his head, studying me. “Doing what?”

“You know this. Us. Everything.”

His lips twitched, almost a smile, but then his expression hardened. “You think I don’t know?” he murmured. “You think I can pretend the last kiss didn’t happen?”

Heat pooled in my stomach. I averted my eyes, biting my lip to keep from trembling. “I’m, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have”

“You shouldn’t have kissed me?” he interrupted softly. “Or you shouldn’t have let me kiss you?”

I swallowed, the words catching in my throat. “Both.”

He stepped closer again. Close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from him. My pulse was out of control. My hands were clammy. And I hated myself a little for wanting him to stay. For wanting… more.

“You know we can’t,” he whispered, voice rougher now. “We are siblings. Family. This, everything we felt” His hand lifted slightly, but didn’t touch me. “It can never happen again no matter how bad we want it to.”

I nodded, but it was almost meaningless. The air between us was charged. Every accidental brush of our hands, every step closer, made my knees weak. 

He was fighting himself, I could see it. And every second I saw that struggle, my own desire flared hotter.

We stood there, tense and silent, until my phone buzzed. I grabbed it instantly, my heart pounding, using it as an excuse to escape. “I uh, I should take this.” I said 

He didn’t stop me. He only watched as I hurried back to my room, shutting the door behind me and leaning against it. My breaths came fast and shallow.

Why did it have to be like this? Why did fate or my parents have to throw us together under the same roof after, after that?

Later, I heard him moving around again. Not the casual creaks of normal movement, but deliberate. Like he was pacing, or maybe just thinking, calculating, holding himself back.

I tried to sleep, telling myself I had to. I had to survive this night. But sleep didn’t come easily. Every shadow in the hallway made me flinch. Every faint sound of his voice downstairs made my stomach twist. I could feel him everywhere. In my mind, in my blood, in my skin and it didn't help, the thought that we were alone in this house. Our parents were still on their honeymoon. 

Then, as I was drifting into a restless half sleep, I heard the softest whisper:

“Yubi”

I froze, heart hammering. It was him. My stomach flipped, and a heat I didn’t dare name pooled in my body.

"Please go away Trey, just go to your room please." i yelled from my room, there was a few moments of silence, but I could still hear him breathing from the other side 9f the door. 

"Whatever that could have happened between us," I started slowly, taking in deep breaths, "It can never happen again, we have to bury our feelings for each other." 

"Feelings?" he repeated, cutting me off, "Are you telling me you have feelings for me little sis?" he said sarcastically. 

"good night Trey, and please never call me that again." i said before I turned my lights off and got into bed hoping he would get the hint and leave my door. 

For a few minutes, he just stood there silently, not saying a word, but later on I heard his footsteps, walking away.