The sound of dishes clinking in the kitchen pulled me from a fitful sleep. I blinked against the morning light streaming through the half-drawn curtains, the familiar ache in my neck reminding me I’d spent another night on Marco Nunes’ too-short couch. 

After a quick shower, I dragged my weary body to the kitchen and found him there.

“Morning, man. Ready for your first day at work?” His bright grin was almost annoying. He was always so cheerful in the morning.

“Yeah, it’ll be good to have something to keep me busy,” I replied, gratefully taking the cup of coffee he offered. “And the money means I’ll be out of your hair soon.” 

He opened his mouth, probably to say something encouraging, but a soft voice interrupted before he could get a word out.

“Come on, Tom.” I turned to see Marco’s younger sister, Bela, stroll into the kitchen. Her legs peeking out from beneath a t-shirt that barely reached mid-thigh. She wore thick socks, and her dark, wavy hair was messy from sleep. “We love having you here.” 

She laid her hand on my forearm, flashing a big smile, her touch lingering for a second too long.

I swallowed. I had a hard time dealing with Isabela’s open flirtation. I’d known her as Marco’s annoying little sister for most of my life, who always tried to intrude on our late-night gaming sessions. But she was only three years younger than us and had grown into a stunning woman.

At least she had the decency to look as miserable as me in the morning.

“Hi, Bela.” Marco and I spoke at the same time, which made us chuckle.

“I’ve got to get ready for work,” Marco said, leaving the room. He paused in the doorway like he’d just remembered something. “Oh, by the way, Tom. There’s a party tonight. Some people from high school. You up for it?”

High school friends? I had not seen most of them in years, but it made sense that those still in the city would get together. It took all of my will not to ask who exactly would be here.

“Sure, sounds fun.”

Marco grinned and gave me a thumbs-up before heading down the hall toward the bathroom.

With him gone, I sipped my coffee, leaning on the counter. The window was open, and I could hear the sound of the city I had grown up in waking up under us. Bela pouring herself some cereal put an end to that.

She looked me up and down.

“You clean up nicely.” I wore black dress shoes, black slacks, and a tight-fitted white shirt tucked in my pants. It sure was a change from the sweatshirt and shorts I’d worn around the apartment, and I was rewarded with Bela’s appreciative smile.

“Thanks,” I said, looking down at her feet perched on the stool. “Cute socks.” They were pink and fuzzy, and my comment made her break into a disarming giggle.

I checked my watch. “Gotta go. I’ll see you at the party?”

“Yuck,” she said, her face scrunched up. “Hanging out with a bunch of loser trust fund babies? No thanks.”

I chuckled. Marco and I had attended a selective private school on academic merit, surrounded by rich kids. Bela had a point.

“Fair enough,” I pushed myself off the counter. “See you later, then.”

It felt strangely good riding the subway again. After five years in the U.S., I was back in the familiar clanking carriage of my home city’s public transportation, full of familiar jingles, logos, and, unfortunately, pungent scents.

Following graduation, I tried to fund a startup with my then-girlfriend and our college best friend. But two years later, here I was, back across the ocean, broke, humbled, and ready for a fresh start.

The money situation weighed heavy on my mind. What little I had saved vanished quickly in hotels, leaving me with no choice but to crash on Marco’s couch. When the first decent-paying job offer came through, a consulting gig at a mid-sized firm, I didn’t hesitate.

Our office was just outside the city center, buried in a soulless business district. My first day at work was, to put it mildly, underwhelming. My team was out meeting with a client, leaving me to spend most of the day waiting. Waiting for my laptop, waiting for access to the company’s internal systems, and bouncing between HR meetings that felt like they went nowhere. I felt more like an administrative box ticker than anything else.

Relief washed over me as the end of the day finally came. After another crowded subway ride, I found Marco waiting for me near the exit. The walk to the party wasn’t far, and as we headed there, he fired off questions about my new job, his excitement palpable.

I tried to muster some enthusiasm, but my first day had been a letdown, and I couldn’t quite hide it. 

“Sounds... kinda dull,” Marco said with a sympathetic laugh. “First days usually suck, though. It’ll get better, man.”

We stopped by a grocery store on the way, grabbing a six-pack of beer and a few bottles of wine so we wouldn’t show up empty-handed. Before long, we arrived at the house. Given the kind of people attending, I shouldn’t have been surprised, but the place was one of those rare gems near the city center, a house with a garden. 

Inside, strings of lights hung from the trees, casting a soft glow on the crowd while mellow music played over the speakers. Groups clustered together, laughing and chatting, red solo cups in hand.

I could place a few faces from high school. Rather than a broad mix of former students, it was mostly the artsy crowd with whom I’d never clicked. They always seemed to move in their own world, full of creativity and inside jokes I never quite got.

Worse, I was the only one in a business outfit, sticking out like a sore thumb. It was like being back in high school, feeling out of place all over again. I unbuttoned the top of my shirt and rolled up my sleeves, hoping to blend in a little better.

Marco handed me a beer, raising an eyebrow as he watched me take a long, anxious sip. “You’ll be fine, man,” he said, chuckling.

I forced a smile and tried to come up with something that would make me look relaxed and unaffected when a voice cut my thoughts short.

“Hello, Tom.” I turned to face Nathalie Tran and a man I did not recognize. “Fancy seeing you here.” 

She looked as if she had just gotten out of work, too, although she had picked a more casual outfit. Like Marco and me, Nat was part of the merit program back in high school.

“Hey, Nat,” I smiled. Even though we’d never been super close friends, many memories surfaced. ”Long time no see.”

“Tom?” The stranger standing next to her raised his eyebrow. “As in Aurelia’s Tom?”

My heart stopped for a second. What did he mean by that? But I quickly shook it off, reminding myself I was supposed to be over my high school girlfriend.

“As in Tom Bennett,” I said, extending my hand to him. “I’m not sure I know you, though.”

Nat giggled at my bluntness. “This is Jim,” she answered as he took my hand with a friendly smile. “My fiancé.”

He seemed like a nice guy, if a little serious, but then again, Nat had always been a serious person. They’d made sense together.

“Are you just dropping by? Last I heard, you lived in the States.”

“Well, my startup crashed and burned, so I moved back home. Been here for a few weeks now.”

The word ‘startup’ pricked Jim’s attention. Having heard this story more times than he could count, Marco took the opportunity to excuse himself and mingle.

Nat and Jim were full of questions regarding my experience. So I shared the most entertaining bits like how we rented a garage and a tiny apartment above it from an eccentric old lady in Oakland. How we once bricked our software right before a big investor meeting.

I learned that Nat worked at one of the country's largest hedge funds, which was quite impressive. She had always been the smartest person I knew, so I would have expected her to have a prestigious career.

On my end, I kept to myself the collapse of my relationship with my co-founders. This would not do in polite company.

As I spoke, a small crowd gathered around us, attracted by the anecdotes, and kept the questions coming. It felt jarring to be the center of attention with these people.

I was so caught up in the conversation that I didn’t notice two people had joined our circle until they were standing just a few feet away.

The first was Aurelia. 

She looked incredible, as always. Her green dress made her eyes shine, perfectly contrasting with her pale skin. Her red hair was pulled into two elegant tresses that rested on her shoulders.

The other was the tall, handsome man whose hand she was holding. Like Nat and her fiancé, Aurelia, and her companion looked perfectly paired.

That harmony, however, seemed to falter when it came to me.

As I continued speaking, trying my hardest to stay focused on the crowd, I could feel the weight of Aurelia’s eyes on me, her gaze cold and distant. She never laughed at any of my jokes, never even smiled. Instead, her expression was stern, and I could sense her irritation radiating toward me.

Her date, on the other hand, was entirely at ease. He chimed in with the conversation, laughing along with the others, his good mood contagious. It felt surreal to be talking to him while pretending not to notice the tension hanging in the air between Aurelia and me.

People were starting to move away when Aurelia broke her silence.

“So, are you back for good?”

I nodded, surprised by her detached tone. “Yeah, I got a job, and I’m crashing at Marco’s for now.”

Her answer came in a sharp voice, dripping with sarcasm, cutting through the relaxed atmosphere.

“How nice of you to decide to spend some time with us boring people, Thomas Bennett.”

The use of my full name led to a few awkward chuckles and uncertain glances. I imagined most people present had no idea about our history. And for those who knew us then, it had been eight years, an eternity. Besides, I had been the one left behind, the dumpee.

I tried to lighten the mood. “Always a pleasure, Aurelia,” I said with a half-smile, but I knew how irreverent it sounded as soon as the words left my mouth.

Her face flushed with anger, and before I could even think of how to fix the moment, she stomped off, dragging her stunned companion behind her like an afterthought.

That left only a bug-eyed Nat, Jim, and me.

“So that wasn’t awkward at all,” Jim said dryly, his deadpan humor easing the tension. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Yeah, I wasn't expecting that.” 

Nathalie crossed her arms, her tone shifting slightly. “You could’ve told people you were coming back, you know.” There was a hint of accusation in her voice. If Aurelia and she were still as close as they’d been, she probably felt she needed to defend her friend.

“I guess.” I shrugged, then pointing towards Aurelia’s handsome date, asked. “Who was that anyway?”

“Finn, her boyfriend, they’ve been seeing each other for a few months.” Clearly, Aurelia still had a type. Finn fit the mold of the strings of tall, athletic guys she’d dated after dumping me before I fled across the country for college. “But don’t change topics. You two have beef?”

I did not want to speak about our last encounter five years ago, right after I had finished my undergrad. I had dropped into town to gather a few belongings before leaving for the US to do my masters on a scholarship. More than that, I had spent months suppressing that memory. “Not really.”

Nat must’ve caught my unease because she dropped the topic.

I tried not to let the encounter bring me down and rejoined Marco, who had already had a few drinks. It felt good to let loose after the stress of the past few weeks. The music grew louder and more upbeat, and people began dancing.

After a while, I headed inside to use the bathroom. I ended up on the second floor, where a balcony circling the entire house provided a nice view of the garden below. The smell of weed was also weaker up here. I leaned on the rail, enjoying the buzz of the alcohol, to cool down a little and check my phone.

The atmosphere had shifted once again. Instead of the dance music from earlier, some guy had pulled out an acoustic guitar and was strumming a generic folksy tune. People surrounded him, and it took me a moment to realize it was Finn. Of course. She really had a thing for the phoney, artistic type.

Before I could linger on that thought and the resentment I knew it would bring, someone joined me, leaning over the balustrade right next to me.

I didn’t need to turn my head to know it was Aurelia. That same sweet, fresh scent she’d worn since high school gave her away.

“So you’re not mad at me anymore?” I turned to look at her, but her eyes were trained on the people gathered around her boyfriend.

“I don’t know why I’d be mad at you, Thomas.”

I shrugged. “Yeah, right. Nobody calls me Thomas, you know that.”

“I know that your friends call you Tom.” She finally turned, her blue eyes landing on mine, daring me to react. She spoke in a saccharine tone, her face showing no emotions. “But surely you could’ve found time to visit a friend in five years. Or at least answer any of the messages your friend sent you. Guess I’m not your friend.”

Her words stung, I did feel guilty about that. I had blocked her everywhere as soon as my plane landed in the U.S. 

“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice hesitant. My mind flashed back to that night five years ago when I’d crashed on her ex-boyfriend’s couch. “But things got weird last time…”

She didn’t let me finish. “We broke up eight years ago.” Her composure was still intact, but something flickered in her gaze for an instant. “You used to be the most important person in my life, and all I got in eight years was half a day with you. That’s not right.”

I swallowed hard, the hurt in her eyes hitting me harder than I wanted to admit. But she was leaving things out. We did not break up. She dumped me. And the last time I was back in town, she had kissed me before I left for the airport while she was dating a guy twice her age.

“Lot of things happened in just half a day.” I sounded defeated. I did not want to admit how hard the events of that encounter had affected me. Aurelia blushed, probably thinking about the same things as me.

But my genuine discomfort must have reached her. Her face softened. And she reached for my hand, squeezing it. She turned her attention back to the party.

After a few minutes of silence, she spoke up again.

“Ugh.” She was looking straight at Finn, her change in demeanor blindsiding me. “He spends every night working at the bar, and the one evening we get together, he decides to hold court rather than spend time with his girlfriend.”

I chuckled, surprised at the sudden vent. Maybe we were still friends, after all. “At least he is a hard worker, right?”

She looked at me and rolled her eyes as if I were the most clueless person on the planet. “He bought the bar with his trust fund. He barely works there. It’s more like a constant party. You’re so naive sometimes, Thomas.”

The edge of her words was softened by her shoulder slumping against mine. Before I could answer, she started rummaging around her handbag, pulling out her phone.

“Look at that, we have the same phone!” she exclaimed with a surprising burst of enthusiasm as she pointed at mine lying on the railing next to me. It was such a common model, but she sounded like she had just discovered something amazing.

“Funny. Great minds think alike, I guess.” That made her laugh, and she looked back at me. 

She was wearing heels, so we were about the same height. Her blue eyes had a unique glint in them, giving her stunning face even more allure. The balcony was not well lit, but her pale skin caught every speck of light, making her shine. I could feel myself getting pulled back into her gaze. Panic started to set in. I needed to get out of there.

“I better get back and make sure Marco doesn’t do anything stupid,” I blurted out, my voice a little too rushed. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

I rushed downstairs right as Finn stopped playing, and upbeat music started back over the speakers. I found Marco and shared another drink with him before Nat pulled me onto the dance floor. Jim stayed behind, laughing as he explained that dancing wasn’t his thing.

I had actually changed since high school. I would have never been confident enough to dance with a woman like that. Despite myself, I noticed that Finn and Aurelia were nowhere to be found. Nat and I shared a few songs before she went back to rejoin Jim.

But I kept going and moved from partner to partner. Sometimes, I would recognize the girl, but most of them were total strangers. I needed the distraction. I needed to push away the growing tension in my chest.

Then suddenly, Aurelia’s hand slipped into mine.

I blinked, taken aback. How had I not seen her on the dance floor before? She stood before me now, her face flushed, a light sheen of sweat on her skin, her breathing slightly heavier.

It felt surreal dancing with her, with people from high school surrounding us. Her dress hugged her hourglass figure, and as she swayed, her hips flared, attracting the gaze of every man in the garden. I could not even bring myself to glance at her chest, fearing that I would stay frozen. 

What fascinated me more was her smile, the way her eyes sparkled when I made some over-the-top ridiculous dance moves, the alcohol loosening me up more than I expected. Every time she let out that throaty laugh, it sent an exhilarating thrill through me.

Her eyes never left mine for the entire song, and her hands burned my skin where we touched. She had to know what she was doing. I just could not understand why. Was she trying to rile up her boyfriend?

Too soon, the music shifted, and Aurelia took her hand away. She shot me a mischievous smile before melting into the crowd, leaving me standing in the center of the dance floor, confused and a little breathless. I didn’t move for a moment.

Shaking off the feeling, I patted my pockets, realizing my phone was missing. My thoughts flashed back to the balcony earlier. I must have left it there. With a resigned sigh, I headed back up the stairs. Sure enough, my phone was sitting right where I’d left it, perched on the railing. I picked it up, but the battery had completely drained. Great. 

I found Jim and Marco at a table when I returned to the garden. Marco had clearly had one too many drinks, his head bobbing as he mumbled something unintelligible. Jim was half-holding him up, amused by his friend’s state.

“Looks like we’ve got a situation,” Jim said, suppressing a laugh.

“I’d better get him home before he makes a real scene,” I answered, remembering how few parties we’d attended back in high school. Marco had always been more low-key, so watching him like this was unexpectedly entertaining.

Jim nodded, grinning as he propped Marco up. “No problem, we’ll come with you. Nat and I don’t live too far from his place anyway. Can you go find her?”

I walked around the garden, my head buzzing pleasantly when I finally found her. She was in an animated conversation with Aurelia. Their voices were too low to make out what they were discussing, but their body language was tense. It looked like they were arguing. My curiosity piqued, but before I could get close enough to eavesdrop, Nat squeezed Aurelia’s arm and nodded in my direction.

Aurelia turned, her eyes flicking to mine for the briefest moment, and whatever they were discussing seemed to abruptly end. She slipped away before I could reach Nat.

“What was that about?” 

“Nothing,” she shrugged, clearly dismissive. “Just Aurelia being Aurelia.”

I was curious but a bit too tipsy to press her, so I let it go.

“Jim and I are going to get Marco home. He asked me to find you.”

“Sure,” Nat replied, glancing after Aurelia before turning back to face me. “I’ll just stop by the bathroom. I’ll be with you guys in a minute.”

The garden had taken on a new, almost eerie quality as the four of us gathered. The string lights overhead cast flickering shadows through the trees, and the laughter and music from the party now felt distant, like we were in a different world entirely. I would have liked to stay longer, soak in the atmosphere, but Marco needed his friends more than I needed a quiet moment alone.

As we walked toward the exit, I noticed couples tucked into the dark corners of the garden, lost in each other, their whispers and soft laughter rising in the night air. I tried not to look, but it was hard to ignore their blatant displays of affection. 

Then, as we reached the entrance, we stumbled upon a couple even more engrossed in each other than the others. It took me a second to realize who it was. Finn’s hands gripped Aurelia’s waist, pulling her against him as they kissed, wholly absorbed in their own world.

My stomach clenched. Nat flushed, quickly averting her eyes, while Jim let out a small, uncomfortable chuckle. I forced myself to look away, but the image was already seared into my mind.

The pleasant buzz I’d felt earlier evaporated, replaced by a tightening in my chest. I could hardly believe how much power Aurelia still held over my mood. I thought I was over her, but maybe coming back here had been a mistake. I could have gotten a better-paying job in the U.S. and avoided a whole lot of internal drama.

Thankfully, the walk back to Marco meant that Jim and I had to focus to ensure he would not trip, creating a welcomed distraction. Nat hovered around us, occasionally poking fun and snapping a few pictures of our makeshift trio, her laughter light but not quite enough to lift the tension inside me.

Out of the blue, she turned to me.

“Hey Tom,” her tone was casual, but something felt off. “I’m looking for someone to jog with. You’d be up for that?” 

That seemed a bit random, and as I looked at Jim, he shrugged as if to say, “Don’t ask me, man.”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” I replied, caught off guard. After two years of being locked in a garage and starting a new office job, it would be nice to get some exercise.

“Great! We can meet after work. I’m pretty sure I already have your number,” she said, sounding oddly relieved like she had just crossed something off her mental checklist. “I’ll send you the details.”

We kept walking, and after a while, Marco seemed to snap back into coherence, mumbling something that caught our attention. 

“You know Tom… she’s an adult. I don’t care who she has sex with.”

The three of us whipped our heads around, surprised by the sudden shift in conversation. My heart stuttered. He had to be talking about Aurelia. Did he know something?

“And don’t pretend, I’ve seen it. She’s throwing herself at you.” Marco continued, laughing to himself. “I don’t mind if you two get together… Just don’t be an asshole about it.”

Why would he be upset about Aurelia and me? Had he dated her, too? Was he close friends with Finn? My mind raced through possibilities, I was too stunned to respond, but Nat was not in a speculative mood.

“Who are you even talking about?”

“Bela,” he slurred as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. In his hazy state, it seemed like he thought Nat was slow on the uptake. “Duh.”

“Of course,” she chuckled, though there was a trace of exasperation in her voice. “I should have guessed you were talking about your sister. Your adult sister.”

I let out the breath I had been holding onto. I was the one who was actually slow. Bela. Of course, he was talking about Bela. I felt a mix of relief, embarrassment, and worry. I was falling back into my old patterns.

“Thanks, man,” I was playing into his rambling. “That’s really weird. But thanks, I guess.”

“Yeah, I’m sure a twenty-three-year-old needs her brother’s approval to sleep with someone.” Nat did not sound as amused by the situation as Jim and I were.

“Under my roof, you better believe…” Jim slapping the back of his head cut Marco's indigent rant cut short.

“Man, you’re wasted.”

“Fair...”

Finally, we reached his place, and I hefted him up the stairs. Nat and Jim waved goodnight to us.

Under his weight, I stumbled into the apartment. Bela was watching TV on the couch, wearing her usual home outfit: a large band T-shirt, panties, and socks. She looked worried for an instant, seeing Marco slumped over my shoulder, but the smile on our faces must have given the game away.

“You’re such a lightweight bro.”

I carried him to bed and helped him take off his pants, Bela pouring him a large glass of water. Then, the two of us found ourselves alone in the living room.

“So it looks like you guys had a fun night.” She was grinning at me as I slumped on the couch. I was not as drunk as Marco, but I was not incredibly steady either.

“Yeah, you should have tagged along. How ‘bout you?”

She sat next to me and shrugged, her tone casual at first. “Meh, I met some girlfriends at a bar, nothing too exciting.” Her smile turned more suggestive. “I do have a nice buzz going, though.”

I decided not to bite. “Good for you.”

Her face fell slightly, frustration flickering across her features. “Come on,” she said, her voice soft but direct. “Are you not picking up what I’m laying down here? Do you want to hook up or sleep alone on the couch again? I’m not going to be this brave all the time.”

The boldness of her words surprised me, and for a moment, I just stared at her. She was undeniably cute, her dark hair framing her face and her long, tanned legs extended, catching my eyes before I quickly looked away. Part of me was tempted, but I could not afford to mess with my current living situation.

“You’re really cute, Bela,” I said, pausing to weigh my words, “but I’m not so sure this is a good idea.”

She frowned, a flicker of disappointment crossing her face. “Okay, well, that’s a bummer.” Then, after a beat, she raised an eyebrow, her playful demeanor returning. “Do you at least want to watch a movie with me? I feel bad making you sleep out there while I’ve got room in my bed, and I think we’re both a bit lonely. No funny business, I promise.”

I wasn’t used to a woman being so open about wanting me, and this offer actually sounded reasonable to my slightly drunk mind. 

“Sure,” I said, lighting up her face.

“Great!” She did not wait for any more of my input and hopped off the couch, flashing me a glimpse of her panties, by accident, of course.

I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I wasn’t sure why Bela was so drawn to me, but I couldn’t help scrutinizing my appearance. My brown hair was neat, and my face wasn’t bad-looking, but as I took off my shirt, I noticed the beginnings of a gut. It would do me some good to work out with Nat.

With a sigh, I finished up and headed to Bela’s room. She was already on the bed, fiddling with the remote as she set up some random movie. When I walked in, shirtless, I caught her sneaking a quick glance at my chest before flashing a bright, playful smile.

She patted the spot next to her on the mattress, and I laid down. The room felt unexpectedly cozy, the soft lighting casting warm shadows over the walls. As I settled in, my eyes landed on a cord sitting on the bedside table.

“Do you mind if I use your charger?” I asked, holding up my dead phone.

“Sure,” she replied distractedly as she navigated through movie options. Without looking up, she stood and made her way out of the room. “Gotta take my makeup off, be right back.”

I plugged my phone into the charger, lying on my belly as I waited for it to power back on. As soon as the screen lit up, I pressed the button, feeling the familiar buzz in my hand. But something was wrong. The background image on the lock screen wasn’t mine. My stomach dropped as I stared at the photo.

It was a portrait of Aurelia. She was smiling adoringly at the camera, her blue eyes glowing as specks of light played over her face. For a split second, my mind scrambled for an explanation, flashing back to our earlier conversation.

Had I picked up her phone by mistake? But then, as it booted up to the landing page, I saw my apps arranged precisely how I’d left them. This was my phone.

I felt a jolt of confusion and unease. Why would she change my background? Was this her idea of a twisted joke or something else? Throughout the night, her hot and cold behavior had already been messing with my head. Now, this felt like a step too far.

To double-check, I brought the messaging app, and sure enough, it was my conversations. Then, on instinct, I opened the gallery.

My breath hitched as I saw the first photo on the list.

It was a selfie taken from the upstairs bathroom at the party, and I could recognize the mirror and sink. Aurelia’s dress was pulled all the way to her hips, exposing her bare chest to the camera. Her full, pale breasts were on full display, defying gravity with their perfect curves. 

She was looking at my phone held up in her hand through the mirror, her face caught in a teasing smirk. Her other hand was resting over the strong arm that was wrapped around her waist, and my eyes finally noticed the large, tall, naked body it belonged to, pressed behind Aurelia. 

The man’s face was out of the frame, but I had to imagine it was Finn.

My heart pounded in my chest as I stared at the image in disbelief. She had to know what she was doing. And what about him? Did her boyfriend know he was posing for me?

Quickly, I locked the phone and dropped it onto the mattress. Between my belly and the bedsheet, I could feel my raging erection as images and sounds I had spent five years suppressing replayed in my mind.

I could still picture Aurelia perfectly, the way her body moved on her hands and knees, the large figure behind her driving into her, making her breasts sway with every deep thrust. I could still hear her moans. The thrill of seeing her being ravaged like that was something I had never been able to replicate. But with it came the jealousy, the shame, the sadness.

Still, my hand was already snaking its way to my cock when the door opened. 

Startled, I turned back to find Bela amused by my state. She had removed her makeup, but it must have been light because I could barely tell the difference. Her dark hair was tied in a messy bun on top of her head, and she had taken off her bra, her nipples poking through the fabric of her T-shirt.

“Comfortable?” She asked, teasing me. I wondered whether she had actually caught on to what I had been on the verge of doing. I forced a laugh.

She lay beside me on the bed, her gaze curious and playful. I had been stupid. She was pretty and willing. This would be uncomplicated. I moved closer, putting my hand on her naked thigh. Her eyes bulged out, but her smile only grew.

“Still up for it?” I asked, my voice barely louder than a murmur.

Instead of answering, she lifted her legs to her chest and slid off her panties, discarding them to the ground and opening her thigh to expose her trimmed black bush. I chuckled as she eagerly attacked my pants, pulling them off me without exchanging a word.

My rock-hard cock sprung free. A pang of insecurity hit me as memories of Aurelia's ex flashed in my mind, the size of his dick, the way it had looked compared to her feminine frame. The comparison stung, leaving me feeling inadequate. But Bela did not seem to care. She reached for it instantly, and as I leaned over to start eating her out, she pulled me up to her face. 

“I’m not really up for anything fancy tonight. We’re both tired and a bit drunk.” She was running one hand over my shoulder while the other was tugging on my cock. “I’m ready. I just want to get laid and cuddle. Are you good with that?”

Her honesty was so refreshing that I couldn’t help but laugh. "Yeah, I’m good with that."

I reached for the hem of her t-shirt, and she raised her arms over her head to help me. Her breasts were small but perky and topped with hard brown nipples that stood up straight. I slid my hands along her smooth legs, down to her socks, but she stopped me.

“No, the socks stay on,” she said, her voice tinged with sudden shyness.

I raised an eyebrow, trying to look teasing more than judging.

“I cum faster if my feet are warm,” she answered my silent question. Her face, chest, and ears had turned scarlet from the admission.

Taking a step back to admire her, naked, propped up on her pillow, the fuzzy pink socks did add to the image. Aurelia was almost entirely out of my mind.

“You’re adorable,” I said softly, earning a giggle from her. Then, more seriously, I asked, "Condom?”

She shook her head. “You don’t need to. I’m on the pill. I trust you.” 

I paused for a second. Usually, I would insist, especially with someone new. But I was too drunk, too horny, too shaken by Aurelia’s picture on my phone and the memories bubbling up. I needed this.

Without waiting any longer, I lined myself up between her legs. She wasn’t lying. She was gushing already. My modest length would have no trouble slipping inside her.

I went slow, savoring the feeling of her warm, wet body. She gasped softly, her hands instinctively reaching for my hips. But after a few seconds of my measured pace, she grew impatient. Her fingers dug into my ass, pulling me deeper, urging me to push harder.

As I thrust into Bela, my mind raced, struggling to make sense of everything that had unfolded tonight. Aurelia had been flushed when she rejoined the dance floor, and it hit me. She hadn’t just been dancing with that teasing smile. She’d been with Finn in the bathroom, probably fucking him or making out. Hell, were they back at it right now while I was here with Bela?

I glanced down at her. Bela’s eyes were fixed on my face, her breath hitching with each of my movements, but there was no fire in her gaze, nothing like the wild, primal passion I had glimpsed five years ago, spying on Aurelia with Lance while crashing on his couch.

That night had left an indelible mark on me, the raw intensity of her cries, the sway of her body under him as she pushed back into his thrusts. It was something I knew I would never be able to shake off.

Bela was happy to let me do all the work, clearly not experiencing the mind-bending arousal Lance’s muscular body and huge cock had been able to conjure in my old high school girlfriend. For years, I had been able to push these thoughts aside, but with Aurelia’s intrusion into my head, it was impossible to focus on anything else.

Seeing her going through so much pleasure had felt like I was discovering what passion really was for the first time. Right now, with Bela, it felt nice, safe, and warm, but we were more like two people masturbating together rather than lovers pushing for the other’s pleasure.

The jealousy gnawed at me, sharpening both the pleasure and the shame with every comparison between Bela under me and Aurelia with Lance. Aurelia had experienced something with him that I had never given her during our years of dating. That knowledge stung, making the act here with Bela feel dull in comparison.

Her nails dug into my skin, and her breath quickened. Her eyes fluttered closed as she came quietly beneath me, her body trembling softly around my cock. She moaned, soft and sweet, nothing like the intense, unrestrained cries I’d heard from Aurelia that night. Bela smiled up at me, her face quickly returning to normal, her warmth radiating beneath me.

“That was a big one, baby,” she murmured, her hands moving for the first time to stroke my neck and face rather than pulling me deeper into her. “Your turn now, cum in me.”

The words hit me like a wave, her simple request pulling me from the storm of thoughts. Marco’s little sister urging me to finish inside her. It sent a jolt of arousal through me.

I couldn’t hold back any longer. My body responded instinctively, releasing into her as she wrapped her arms around me, pressing me into her chest. She whispered soft, sweet things in my ear as I came, but the words barely registered.

As I passed out on top of her, all I could think about was the picture of Aurelia in the bathroom. And the caption she’d written on it:

Missed you Thomas <3