Chapter 2

I shook my head and stared at the closed door for a long time before finally looking away. After that encounter, there was no way I could sleep that night.

…

The next morning, I showed up at work with dark circles under my eyes. In the afternoon, Robert called, eager to hear how last night went.

"It was alright," I responded flatly.

"Just alright? What the hell, Shawn! Since when did you become so picky?" Robert exclaimed in disbelief.

I yawned and said, "Whatever, man. I didn't sleep well last night, so I need to catch some rest."

"You spent all night with her, and all you can say is 'alright'?" Robert scoffed. "I've got to see what makes this girl so special."

That instantly jolted me awake. "Robert! I'm warning you—don't you dare try to book the coin I bought yesterday!"

Robert grew annoyed. "What's your problem? Can't we share the fun?"

"I'm not joking around. Just leave this one alone. There are plenty of other coins on that site," I stated seriously.

Noting my tone, Robert teased, "Alright, fine. Shawn, have you actually fallen for that girl? Listen, girls like them are not looking for relationships!"

"Shut up!" I hung up the phone in frustration.

For the rest of the day, I could not focus on work. While Robert might have backed off, there was no guarantee others would not try to book Eleanor.

The thought made me increasingly restless. So, I decided to drive to Aunt Macy's house after work.

When she opened the door, Aunt Macy's face lit up with joy. "Shawn, what brings you here today?"

"I missed you, Aunt Macy. Or am I not welcome here anymore?" I joked.

"You silly boy, I wish you'd visit every day!" Aunt Macy playfully scolded me. "I still don't understand why you moved out after getting a job. Living at home would've been so much better."

I slipped on a pair of slippers and guided her inside. "Come on, Aunt Macy, you bring this up every time I visit."

Aunt Macy rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. You're all grown up now, and I guess I'm just a nag."

"Not at all. By the way, I'm craving your herb-crusted salmon," I changed the subject.

As expected, that distracted her. "Of course! Go rest on the couch while I prepare it for you."

She smiled warmly and headed toward the kitchen. Meanwhile, I sat on the couch and glanced around—Eleanor was not home. My mind immediately went to dark places, wondering if she was out doing that again.

"Aunt Macy, is Eleanor home?" I asked.

"She's out, but I just called her. She'll be back soon. Did you need something from her?" Aunt Macy responded.

"No, just asking." I fell silent.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"That must be her. Shawn, could you get the door?" Aunt Macy called from the kitchen.

I got up to open the door just as Eleanor walked in. She took a deep breath and commented, "Mom, it smells amazing…"

All the while, she did not look up and bumped right into my chest after kicking off her shoes.

"Shawn? What are you doing here?" she blurted out in surprise.

I squinted at her suspiciously.

"Young lady, how many times do I have to tell you to mind your attitude!" Aunt Macy scolded as she emerged from the kitchen with the herb-crusted salmon.

Instead of her usual eye-roll and silent treatment, Eleanor stuck her tongue out playfully and greeted sweetly, "Hi, Shawn."

This unexpected behavior caught Aunt Macy off guard. She gave Eleanor a puzzled look and asked, "What's gotten into you today? Did you knock your head on the way home?"

Eleanor pouted. "Mom, why would you say that?" Then, she grabbed my arm suddenly. "Shawn, can you believe her?"

I tried to pull away, but Eleanor held on tight. Her soft skin pressed against my arm as she gave me a pleading look that made my resolve weaken.

"Now this is how siblings should behave!" Aunt Macy beamed before heading back to the kitchen.

She had no idea Eleanor's sudden affection was just her way of keeping me quiet about her secret activities. Once Aunt Macy was out of earshot, I finally managed to free my arm.

"Where were you?" I whispered harshly.

Instead of answering, Eleanor looked at me with worried eyes. "Shawn, it's only Wednesday. You didn't come here to tell Mom, did you?"

Her fearful gaze kept darting toward the kitchen.

"Just tell me where you were," I demanded with a stern look.

Eleanor avoided my gaze, and her evasiveness told me everything I needed to know. For some reason, anger started building inside me.

"Please, Shawn, please!" Eleanor pleaded with puppy dog eyes, biting her lip.

Suddenly, she grabbed my hand and pulled me toward her bedroom. I followed quietly, not wanting to draw Aunt Macy's attention.

As soon as we entered, Eleanor locked the door behind us. She looked up at me with an alluring gaze. "You've been secretly watching me all these years, right?"

Her words caught me off guard! How did she know? Over the years, Eleanor has become increasingly beautiful. As we lived under the same roof, I could not help having those thoughts I should not have for her.

However, her cold attitude convinced me to suppress those thoughts. I moved out after getting a job partly because of these complicated feelings.

"I…" I started to explain but suddenly felt a chill down below.

To my shock, Eleanor moved closer, her face flushed.