Chapter 6

Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, Blake suddenly turned over and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer. I couldn't break free. The more I struggled, the tighter Blake's grip became!

Initially, I thought Blake was doing it on purpose because he used to tease me like this. But when I turned to look, I saw that Blake was soundly asleep.

Before I could breathe a sigh of relief that Blake wasn't awake, my slight movement caused Blake to stir. He pulled me even closer. Now, our bodies were pressed tightly together.

Because of that, I didn't dare struggle anymore. I feared that any more movements from me would cause Blake to wake up. If we were both awake and saw the intimate position we were in—notwithstanding how Blake would react, I would die of embarrassment first.

The constant heat on my back was impossible to ignore. The arm around my waist was so strong it felt like it could snap my waist in two, while Blake's breath on the back of my neck gave me goosebumps.

I felt very uneasy. This was extremely uncomfortable, to the point of awkwardness.

"Who sleeps like this? How could anyone sleep like this? This is so strange, considering we're two grown men!" I thought in exasperation.

I debated furiously in my head whether to wake Blake up regardless of the embarrassment. I figured that it was better for both of us to be embarrassed than for me to suffer alone. As I pondered it seriously, I heard a soft chuckle near my ear.

Then, something warm and moist brushed against my earlobe.

I shuddered as a tingling sensation erupted all over my body. My left ear felt like it was on fire!

"Blake—"

"Keep your voice down, Nate. Do you want to wake everyone up? Especially your girlfriend, who's on the other side of this wall," Blake whispered.

The words "your girlfriend" sounded like they were squeezed out between clenched teeth. Though Blake's voice was soft, it carried a hint of a threat.

I could only lower my voice and whisper hoarsely, "Blake, what are you trying to do?"

"Weren't you just taking advantage of me earlier? Your hands were on my abs for so long. How about I return the favor and feel you too?" As he spoke, the hand on my waist slipped deftly under my shirt.

"I... Blake! Mmph…"

The voice beside my ear was like a devil's whispering. "No wonder you were so obsessed with my abs—it turns out that you don't have any. But this soft little belly of yours feels quite nice."

Something warm and slippery slid from my upper earlobe down my left cheek, finally resting on my neck. My entire body felt like jelly. Wave after wave of goosebumps erupted across my body. I was in a pinch, but I couldn't escape.

"You bastard! You've been pretending to be drunk all along! Let go of me! What are you doing? I'm your cousin, and we're both men!"

"But your body isn't saying that, Nate."

The hand on my stomach began to slide lower, slipping into my pajama pants.

"Bastard... Ugh… Mmph…" Blake covered my mouth with his left hand.

My heart pounded furiously. I didn't know how things had suddenly escalated to this. This was very dangerous, and I couldn't let this continue. I didn't know what to do.

My heart skipped a beat because Blake's hand had taken hold of me. It was now moving up and down, stroking me. My eyes widened in shock. I felt like my eyeballs were about to pop out of their sockets, and my temples were throbbing.

The sound of heavy breathing filled the room, each breath seeming to spur the other on.

This was madness!

"Ah... you… bastard..."

Blake didn't stop his movements. He loosened his left hand over my mouth a little because he wanted to hear my voice.

"Mmph... Ah... Stop it..."

My voice was just as he had imagined—warm and sweet. Blake sped up his movements.

"Ah... Blake, you son of a... Mm..."

Blake paid no attention to my curses. He had wanted me so badly that he could go crazy. He was obsessed with me.

I felt like I was losing my mind. Blake was a lunatic. Suddenly, I froze as I peaked, and my mind went blank.

Upon hearing a soft chuckle near my ear, I didn't know what to think.

Blake wiped his hand on my pajama pants and was about to say something, but then he froze. He felt a drop of coolness on the back of his hand.

I was crying.

"Nate, I'm sorry. Don't cry. I didn't mean to... I'm sorry, Nate. I lost control. I missed you too much!" Blake apologized and explained.

He hurriedly tried to turn me over to wipe my tears. But no matter what he did or said, I wouldn't respond. I had my back to Blake as I sobbed quietly.

I could feel the hot chest pressed against my back and something firm against my thigh. I felt terrified! If this continued, things could spiral out of control. Besides, Blake and I were cousins!

For the first time, I felt utterly helpless. Tears streamed down my face, dripping on the back of Blake's hand drop by drop.

Blake was stunned at this. He didn't dare to move, but he didn't let go of me either. After a long time, I seemed to cry myself out, sniffling and hiccupping. Blake finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Go to sleep, Nate. I promise I won't touch you anymore. Don't be scared. We have to get up early tomorrow."

I thought that being around Blake was way too dangerous. But after Grandma's birthday banquet tomorrow, I would return to Southvale. After that, I would not need to be around Blake again.

Maybe it was because I was exhausted or due to the cool weather, I gradually fell asleep against Blake's warm body.

By the time I woke up, the spot beside me was empty. Upon hearing the bustling outside, I quickly got up, washed, and went out to help.

All day long, I avoided Blake and stayed close to Willow at all times. I couldn't give Blake a single chance to catch me alone. Last night, Blake had been too terrifying. I was deeply unsettled by the unspeakable incident that had happened in my bed.

Blake must have noticed my aversion because he didn't try to single me out and spend time alone with me.

During the feast, he sat with the elders—eating, chatting, and drinking with them.

When I saw this, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Dinner was served early. Willow had long noticed that I was acting strange all day long. She couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong with you today? You're behaving so weirdly."

"I-It's nothing…"

"Nothing? You've been jumpy and nervous all day."

"Really, it's nothing. Let's just eat. We need to get to the station soon."

"If you say so, fine," Willow replied perfunctorily, smacking her lips.

"By the way, Willow, traveling like this is really inconvenient. Let's make time next month to look at some cars."

"Sure, whatever you say. Let's eat."

"Oh, are you two heading back to Southvale after dinner?" Grandma's voice suddenly came from the next table.

"Yes, Grandma. We have to work tomorrow."

"That's perfect, then. No need to rush to the station to catch a ride. Blake is also heading back to Southvale tonight. He can give you a lift."

"We… We wouldn't want to trouble Blake."

"What's the concern? Blake said he'd take you both. It'll be more convenient for you both to go back by car."

"No, really. It's too much trouble."

"It's no trouble at all. I'm heading back to Southvale tonight anyway. So, we're headed the same way. Besides, it's boring to drive alone. I might get drowsy. You can keep me company and chat with me." Blake's sudden interjection left me with no escape.

"That's it, Nate. You two should ride with your cousin back to Southvale. Keep him company on the way. You two were so close when you were little. Don't be shy now that you've grown up," Grandma remarked.

She mistook my reluctance for shyness due to not seeing Blake for a long time, so she was eager to get us closer again.

"Yeah. Those two used to..."

"Right. I remember Blake used to save his lunch money and give it to Nate..."

The elders suddenly started reminiscing about the good old days between Blake and me. And so, the plan for me and Willow to ride back to Southvale with Blake that night was set in stone by the family elders.

I felt helpless. I thought this day was about to pass without incident.

Once I was back in Southvale, I could avoid Blake. Even if I had to see Blake during family gatherings in the future, he wouldn't dare to do anything outrageous with the elders around. Just when I thought I could relax, Blake sprung a trap for me that I couldn't veer out of.

I observed Blake's smiling face as he reminisced with the elders about their childhood with an ashen face. If it hadn't been for the incident last night, I might still believe that Blake was a good cousin.

The more I thought about the events of the previous night and looked at Blake's cheerful expression, the more I felt my stomach churn. All the scrumptious food that I had put in my mouth became tasteless instantly.

Blake had been putting on an act in front of the elders since he was a child. This was such an infuriating situation!

"Nathan, what is up with you today? You seem distracted." Willow looked at me, then followed my gaze to the next table where Blake was sitting.

She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about the atmosphere between me and Blake seemed off.

After dinner, I reluctantly got into Blake's car with Willow. If that wasn't enough, Blake had the audacity to insist, in front of Grandma, that I sit in the front passenger seat. He claimed he wasn't familiar with the roads since he hadn't been back in a while and needed someone to guide him.

Without hesitation, Grandma pushed me into the front seat.

This was utterly ridiculous. I had never met anyone so shameless. What was the point of installing a GPS in his car, then?

As soon as I got in the car, I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. I didn't think Blake would force me to wake up if I didn't respond.

I hadn't gotten enough sleep last night. So, what started out to be a pretense became real as I fell asleep.

I gradually woke up to the sound of Blake and Willow talking, my ears catching snippets of Blake's voice.

"So, you two haven't moved in together yet?"

"Yeah. Southvale sure has changed a lot."

"What do you guys usually do on weekends? Any good places to recommend?"

"Oh, you guys spend your dates at the library? That does sound like something Nate would do."

The more I listened, the clearer their voices became. By the time I was fully awake, I realized we were on the way to Willow's apartment.

This was bad! I quickly sat up and said, "Wait... Go to Northdale Street first!"

"Oh, you're awake, Nate," Blake said while glancing at him. "It's already quite late. Let's drop Willow off at her place first. She should get home early to wash up and rest since she has to go to work tomorrow."

"How about you pull over here? We're just a few steps from Willow's place. I'll walk her up, then take the subway home. It's late. You should get home and rest too." I spoke rapidly and sounded a little rude, revealing how anxious I was.

I had planned to get out of the car once they reached Southvale, but I accidentally fell asleep. Once Willow got out, I'd be left alone with Blake. I couldn't let that happen!

Blake pretended not to notice my resistance and said with a smile, "We're already here. I should at least make sure you both get home safely. I'll take you home after I drop Willow off. Why are you throwing a childish tantrum now that you're a grown-up?"

"You think I'm throwing a tantrum because you didn't drop me off first?" My voice rose as they neared Willow's place—I couldn't hold back any longer.

"Then why? We haven't seen each other for years. Don't tell me you've developed a bad habit of being grumpy when you wake up?" The tone Blake adopted sounded like he was talking patiently to a misbehaving child.

"I..." I was furious but had no way out.

Blake knew everything! But he also knew I couldn't say it out loud. He just sat there smiling, watching me struggle like a trapped animal.

We finally reached Willow's place. As I watched Blake get out to help her with her luggage and say goodbye, I thought that I could go to my girlfriend's place to stay the night. No one could stop me from doing that, right?

I tried to open the car door a couple of times, but the passenger door had been locked from the driver's seat.

By then, Blake had returned to the car. Even a blind person could see the discreet but smug smile on his face. This was too infuriating!