5
I was woken up by my phone vibrating somewhere. I removed my arm from my eyes and noticed through the windows that the sun had started to rise. The phone vibrated again, catching my attention toward the wooden floor, where it lay beside my clothes scattered in the middle of the room.
I took a deep breath, feeling good for the first time in a long while. I sat up on the bed and looked at the boy lying down. Mat was face down, half his face hidden in the soft pillow. My gaze traveled down his exposed back, the blanket stopping at his waist, hiding his beautiful ass and legs.
I forced myself to leave the comfortable bed, grabbed my clothes and phone from the floor, finding dozens of messages and missed calls. After getting dressed, I sat watching the boy, completely knocked out. I sat on the edge of the bed, took a post-it and a pen from the drawer.
My number. Let's repeat. I stuck the yellow paper on the lamp and left the room, studying the environment carefully. Mat had a big TV, curtains that matched the gray sofa, and paintings decorating the brick walls. I stopped in front of a bookshelf full of books; they didn’t seem like mere decoration. His kitchen was fully equipped and almost seemed untouched, maybe he didn’t like cooking.
Mat seemed like a guy with money.
Still a bit sleepy, I grabbed a soda from the fridge and made the house cozy against the boring world outside.
The iron gates opened as I approached with the car, and I drove down the long street surrounded by the dense forest that enclosed the entire private complex. I passed the first few houses until I reached my own, the last building, which was very close to the river that ran through the whole city.
I parked the car and studied the mansion through the window. It seemed both different and the same. I got out of the car when I spotted Kenji and Shin approaching.
"Finally decided to show your face?" Kenji accused, irritated.
"Ryuuji," Shin pushed his brother out of the way and hugged me tightly.
I returned the hug, noticing that, like Kenji, he had gotten taller and stronger. His platinum hair had the same cut as his twin brother’s, and their clothes were intentionally similar to confuse everyone. Last year, Kenji got a deep scar on his right hand after a bad fight, and without hesitation, Shin made the same wound on his own hand so they would remain identical.
They could even confuse their mother, but never me.
"We threw a big party to celebrate your return, where have you been?" he asked as he pulled away.
"At my private party," I replied with a shrug.
Kenji crossed his arms, making a face.
"You ditched your friends for a hookup?" he scolded, pretending to be serious.
"It was three," I replied with a smile. "Three times," I bragged playfully. Shin hugged my shoulders, laughing with me.
"Alright... you were probably in need," Kenji agreed with a smile at the corner of his lips. "But I'll kill you if you scratched my baby," he threatened, turning toward the car.
I shook my head with a nod while he carefully and judgmentally evaluated the car.
"Come on, I’ll take you to your room," Shin pulled me toward the house. "Your dad is in a meeting, but he wants to see you when he's done," he explained, touching my neatly styled hair.
I had stopped by the barber after breakfast. Asher let me in earlier when he recognized me. Before, she was the only one who could touch my hair; she was a Hebi and knew how to handle it carefully. Now my hair was softer, with no more annoying dry ends, and cut the way I liked it.
Shin guided me through the garden toward the glass courtyard. The smell of wet earth and the fresh air were relaxing and brought forgotten memories. Kenji ran to catch up with us, and we entered the courtyard, where some of the members were talking and preparing for the morning training, but they stopped when they saw us enter.
Suddenly, the silence took over the room.
My gaze was caught by the girl sitting on the wooden floor wearing a white kimono, her platinum straight hair tied in a high ponytail. As if she felt my stare, she turned toward me, her angular eyes of a deep brown meeting mine.
The girl was beautiful, with full lips, a wide nose, and a cold yet malicious expression. A porcelain doll that would slit your throat. But it wasn’t her beauty that caught my attention—it was the color of her skin, as black as coal.
There had never been a member in the Habi Clan like her.
"I had all your clothes washed," Shin revealed when I entered my room. "They smelled strange after being stored for so long," he explained while I observed the place attentively.
Nothing seemed to have changed. The large bed was made, my study desk was still organized with the same books and notebooks, but the closet was neatly arranged for the first time. I’m not much of a folding clothes person; I usually just throw everything on the floor after wearing it.
I stopped by the glass wall that overlooked the river. The crystal-clear water flowed smoothly, slipping between the gray stones. It was as if everything had stopped in time.
"Everything alright?" Kenji asked, throwing himself onto the green sofa in the corner, near the television.
"Shouldn’t you be with the others for training?" I asked without taking my eyes off the river.
"Are you dismissing us again?" Kenji accused, and I turned toward him.
"Still jealous?" I teased, making him cross his arms and blush.
"A little..." he agreed in a murmur.
Shin smiled, shaking his head negatively.
"I’ll be fine, I’ll meet you guys after the meeting," I reassured, hiding my hands in my pockets.
"Okay," they agreed, and Shin sent me a smile as he embraced his brother’s shoulders and carried him out of the room.
The door clicked shut softly. I turned toward the river and felt the phone vibrate in my pocket. I took it out and read the message from the unknown number.
"Tonight.
Bring pizza."
I ran my hand over my face, hearing his moan invade my mind and remembering how my body fit against his. The anxiety of repeating that sweet satisfaction became painful.