Chapter 2 The Kiss

It felt like an eternity before Rachel finally emerged from the shower.

Only after she nestled between Jared and me did I muster the courage to lie down as well.

The three siblings quickly fell into a deep slumber, and gradually, lulled by the rhythm of their breathing, I, too, drifted off.

As dawn crept in, I was jolted from my half-sleep by a soft pressure against my lips. The kiss ignited warmth throughout my body and made my breaths shallow.

When I opened my eyes, I found Jared's face incredibly close to mine, his lips still pressed against mine, and his hands propped by my shoulders. The proximity was alarmingly intimate.

At that moment, my mind blanked, and heat surged to my cheeks.

If it had been anyone but Jared, I would have called the police immediately. But it was Jared, and perplexingly, I found myself reluctant to pull away.

Still, I knew I needed to snap out of it immediately. After all, we weren't alone. I couldn't even recall how I had ended up next to Jared.

Despite this, it seemed Jared was completely absorbed in the moment. My body responded to the kiss, softening, yet I gathered my strength and managed to push him away.

I then attempted to clamber over the other two to escape the bed, but as I did, Jared grabbed my arm. I lost my balance and tumbled back, falling into his arms. My hand, in a fluster, landed inadvertently on his thigh.

'God help me!' I grumbled to myself.

Afraid of waking the others, I could only press down on his thigh, striving to remain silent.

Then, Jared leaned in and whispered in my ear, "I'm sorry, Yvette. I will take responsibility for this."

His words sent a deeper flush across my face. Without much thought, I nodded, then swiftly jumped off the bed and darted into the bathroom, pulling the door shut behind me.

Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I was so mortified that I wished the floor would swallow me whole.

A realization then struck me—I might have seemed too provocative last night, which could have made Jared lose control. Despite his younger age, he likely had as much experience as I did.

With this thought, I splashed my face with cold water, trying to calm down. The thought of Rachel finding out about this was unbearable.

Feeling a bit steadier after cooling my face, I was startled by a sudden rattling at the bathroom doorknob. My mind blanked for a moment as I watched the doorknob turn, and a figure slowly entered, cornering me against the sink.

"You were the same height as me, Yvette. Why do you suddenly seem so small?"