ONE

RILEY

“Aunt, you should go join the others in the living room, I'll take care of things here in the kitchen,” I smiled entering the kitchen and trying to take the cutting stick from my brother's mother-in-law.

Just a few minutes ago, I had been seated in the sitting room, laughing alongside my entire family and friends, but that was until he walked in. Nathan Martinez, next to him was his twin, Ethan Martinez. The duo was smoking hot as ever. They looked identical and almost had the same walking style, but then there was something about him that tugged at my core each time I set my eyes on him. Unlike his twin, who was outspoken and made friends with almost everyone, Nathan was cool and reserved, his intelligent blue eyes always calculating and sizing up everything. He had this commanding aura that made me want to go down on my knees before him. 

“Walk up to him and ask him out, instead of sizing him up from here,” A familiar voice resonated next to me. It was my younger sister, Leah.

“I wonder why you aren't all over Ethan yet,” I mumbled just to her hearing, making her smile and walk away.

The moment she left, my eyes went back to Nathan, but then, he was no longer in the spot he had been before.

“If you're looking for Nathan, his mum sent him up to your room…. oh, look, she is coming over to you too,” my brother Liam laughed gesturing at the older figure approaching me. My cheeks instantly heated up, I felt embarrassed and quickly rose from the couch to escape to my room, but then when I recalled that Nathan had been sent up there, I diverted to the kitchen.

I might have these weird fantasies of myself and Nathan together, but then I was too reserved to approach him or ever try flirting with him, just like my sister Leah, does with his twin Ethan. Unlike my fierce sister who goes for whatever she wants, I was reserved and would rather keep shut than voice out my thoughts.

“Oh, there you are, Riley,” the one person I had been avoiding appeared in the kitchen, it was Hailey, Nathan’s mum.

“Aunt,” I smiled at her.

“Go get a shirt from your brother's room and take it to Nathan….he is waiting in your room.

“I…” 

“Go now, Riley,” she shoved me off the kitchen and onto the stairs.

Tonight, my younger sister was getting engaged to my crush’s twin brother, Ethan. The entire family and friends were gathered to congratulate and take part in the joyful celebration. It was a night of joy for my younger sister, but a night of ridicule for me. Every single person present here tonight wanted to know when I'd get engaged. I am the oldest and they all expect me to get engaged before my sister. 

“Riley!” My name resonated from the two women in the kitchen. I bowed my head a bit, giving them a small smile and headed up the stairs.

My palms got all sweaty as I approached the door to my room. For fuck’s sake, Nathan, the only man my core pulsates for was in there, inside my tiny space. Inside the room where I fantasize about things I could do with him. He was there inside the room, where I've touched myself countless times with his image in mind.

“Was he seated on my bed?” I muttered.

I've always kept a safe distance from him, afraid that he would hear the noise of my heart thumping at the sight of him. Afraid that he would hear my core dripping each time he locked eyes with me.

“Are you going to keep standing out there or will you come in and hand the shirt over to me,” his deep voice sounded.

Just the mere sound of his voice did a thousand and one things to me. Clearing my throat and clamping my legs together, I pushed the door open and walked him.

“Here…” My voice got stuck in my throat at the sight of him shirtless and seated on my bed.

“You…” no reasonable words proceeded from me.

“My mum knowingly spilt juice on me and forced me in here,” he groaned, snatching the shirt from me and changing right in front of me.

I gulped.

“I...I'm….going downstairs, you can join when you are done changing,” I stuttered.

“Riley,” My name rolled off his tongue in the most seductive way. Everything about this man drove me insane. Just the mere sight of him calling my name drove me mad with desires.

“Ye…yes,” I stuttered.

“Once you step out there, believe me, my mum will find another way to trap you inside a room with me….”

“I can't stay here with you all night,” I cut him off.

“I never said that. Let's ditch the party and come back later. We can go to a bar or something,” he suggested.

“I…”

“Riley, you really don't have a choice here. Believe me, the last thing I want right now is to be trapped inside a room when I can spend the entire night drinking rum at some bar. You have to cooperate with me.” 

“Let's go.” he took my hand without my consent.

My body came alive and my heart began to beat erratically.

“Riley and I will be back soon,” he whispered to his mum, who was seated on the stairs right outside the room, seemingly guarding the door.

“Take all the time you need. You can sleep out if you like,” she called after us.

My family had always been small, just me, my sister Leah and our older brother Liam. But then, after Liam got married, the family surprisingly increased. Nathan was Liam’s wife’s cousin. Right from the first day I set my eyes on him, I knew he was the one for me. It's been two years, yet I still stare and fantasize about him in secret.

“We’re here,” his voice resonated, separating me from my thoughts.

“A….a hotel,” I stuttered, looking up at the building. It was my brother’s new hotel that was launched a few months ago, it was built a few blocks away from our mansion.

“Yes, I figured we shouldn't go too far.”

I didn't say another word and simply let him lead me in. There, we got settled at the bar.

“Two glasses of rum,” he ordered.

I didn't know what to say, or how to react. My brain suddenly went numb from being next to him.

“Drink up,” I heard him say. 

My rum had been served.

I clutched the glass.

“You haven't tasted that before. You might get drunk,” a reasonable part of me reminded me.

“It's better to be drunk than stay sane near him,” I told myself, downing the glass and asking for more.

Barely a few minutes later, everything went blank.