"He cupped my cheek, pulled my face closer to his, and BAM!"

"STOP!" My eyes literally sprang out of their sockets, and I clamped my palms to my ears, refusing to listen to such bullshit.

He burst out laughing, clutching his belly till tears streamed down his cheeks. A sigh of relief escaped my lips. "You're freaking disgusting, Senior Chase." His grin faded as he considered for a few seconds before sighing.

"He slapped me."

"What!?"

"That son of... intellectual, slapped me hard. It took me a moment to retrieve my thoughts and question him, but before I could do so, I was punched again. His words got imprinted into my mind. His words were harsh, but very true. The whole thing caught me off guard. For the first time, I felt guided, rebuked, and punished. Sort of parental care. With the passage of time, he evolved into the elder brother I never had. The real reason I call him 'bro.'"

I just had one thing to say after listening intently to his words: "Bromance!"

"Has he ever spoken to you or opened up?"

"Never, ever! I tried questioning him, but he never responded with any specifics. It's just that he wants to bear everything himself, which he has done admirably up to this point." He sighed, his head resting in his palm.

"You know, you two are pretty similar to each other; nevertheless, your perspectives are at odds," he said as he turned to face me.

"So, any news who may spike your drink?"

"No, Iv! Senior Chase, on the other hand, believed it was the hand of a teenager or something."

"Iv, why would anyone want to spike my drink?"

"C'mon, gal, you should be thanking that individual, right? You wouldn't have kissed the daylight out of Senior Aylwin if he hadn't done that."

Here we go again with this conversation!

"Ok Iv, good night! Have horrible dreams!" I shifted my gaze away from her, my flushed cheeks hidden behind my palm. I could hear her chuckles before they faded entirely.

"I still can't believe we're in their home, Soph. Oh, my sexy ball gown, what a heaven's sign!" I laughed at her melodrama.

"This isn't a sign from the heavens. Furthermore, it's only around a night, and we'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Way to ruin the atmosphere, Soph!" I laughed as I shook my head at her.

Senior Chase had offered us to stay the night at his house, so we did. He also promised that we'd all be able to attend college together in peace. Despite how enticing it sounded, I wanted to pass on the opportunity. Ivy, on the other hand, had bet me on it and enthusiastically accepted.

This is going to be one Hella wild night!

My sleep was invaded by a ridiculous nightmare, which left me agitated and disturbed. Despite my repeated attempts to sleep, I was never successful, which irritated me tremendously. All I could hear were faint snores coming from Ivy's lips, which was slightly parted.

Why can't I sleep as soundly as she does? Why do I have to struggle for sleep?

I awoke exhausted from my futile attempts. Although I understood that exploring the place at night was not the ideal option, it was the only way for me to pass the time. I needed to be weary because it would allow me to sleep peacefully, even if only for a short period.

Albeit I knew she wouldn't wake up because she was in deep slumber, I cautiously opened the door so as not to disturb Ivy. I proceeded down the corridor toward the stairwell, but my steps came to a standstill in front of a certain door. I had a strange thought that he was in there. I found myself opening the door before my mind could register.

This isn't correct. This is something I should not do!

My intellect continued to scream at me, but the strange desire to see him swamped my consciousness, flooding it with every sinful thought it could think of. The creaking door slid open, revealing a darkly lit room. I took tentative steps towards him, trepidation pouring into my veins. I knew I was doing something wrong, yet it all seemed right. As I approached his bed, my gaze fell on his serene sleeping form. He drew in a steady, methodical breath. The moonlight was the only source of illumination in the room. The moonlight shone brightly on his face through the huge window, sculpting a magnificent beauty before my eyes. I took my time scrutinizing his form, allowing my mind to dissolve the quintessential vista and my soul to devour itself on his presence.

His forehead wasn't furrowed as it usually was. In his eye-circles, his long eyelashes created a shadow. As his chest gently rose and fell, he wore a t-shirt that clung to his muscular body like a second skin. His fingers were entwined and resting on his stomach. His bottom half was wrapped in a light blanket. With each passing second, the twitch in my fingers became more intense, and I eventually quit up.

I reached out and moved my hand closer to his face, acknowledging their presence with my touch. I was ready to make contact when everything transpired in a split second. And the next thing I knew, I was under Senior Aylwin's frame.

Was he awake for the entire time? Goddammit! Way to fool yourself, Soph!

He was on top of me, his calculating stare darting across my face till it penetrated my eyes. It felt as if he was looking right through me, digging every grave I had buried, which ignited a sizzling flame of yearning within me. I quickly averted my sight as my breath caught in my throat due to our intimate position. His scent was causing my nose to flare up. From head to toe, I was drenched in his cologne. His scent was tantalizing, something I had acknowledged with my soul, and it had left an indelible impact on me. I was worried that inhaling a whiff of the same fragrance might suffocate me.

Newsflash — A girl was discovered dead after an overabundance of spicy, musky, and masculine cologne accumulated in her body.

I lifted my eyes, and met his chiseled jawline, then luscious lips... I reprimanded myself for becoming side-tracked, before lifting my eyes still higher to meet his increasingly darker gaze.

"Um... I" I? All of the words inside of me were chewed. Excuses were not my bestest friend, and I felt compelled to strangle them to death at the moment. Furthermore, what else could I have said?

Like—'Hey, Senior Aylwin! I couldn't sleep, and your enticing smell lured me in. So, here I am! To touch you, to feel you, to...' I shook my head, expelling all of my sinful thoughts. That wasn't the time for such crap. The words were stuck in my throat, and wasn't ready to leave that spot, like if they'd fallen in love with it all of a sudden.

Argh, c'mon! My throat isn't precisely the most pleasant region on the globe.

No words were exchanged. No thoughts were spoken. Nothing but our presence was felt. His breath caressed across my cheeks, warming them more. I couldn't interpret his demeanor or his whirling orbs, which hypnotized me by capturing my gaze. He exhaled, leaning in even closer and whispering ever so softly, "Never leave a task half-done."

It took me a few moments to absorb his words, but before I could react, he crashed his lips against mine, causing me to forget everything. I clutched his shirt firmly to keep myself from collapsing from the shock. Slowly, teasingly, he moved his lips over my frozen lips. All of the butterflies from Colombia, Peru, and the Males settled in my tummy. His lips were soft and savory, exactly like that night. He had one hand on my nape and the other on the bed to keep his balance. I stayed still with my eyes closed until he drew back by resting his forehead against mine. Needless to say, I relished it, in spite of the fact that I shouldn't have. I could feel the exploding tingles of ecstasy and yearning inside of me.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and gazed into his dark, lifeless orbs. We both peered into each other, before he spoke those words that thrilled my heart with utter glee.

"You make me commit sins, I never fucking thought I'd ever come across."

Just like that revelation came crashing down on top of me, clutching my heart and reverberating blissfully. I had no clue how or when it happened, but it certainly did. It wasn't meant to cross all of them, but it did. The weight of the burden faded as I got submerged in mysterious swaths of reality, which were misty and glittering with dew drops.

Yet again, I committed another grave sin; the most haunting, the most menacing, the most exquisite, the most shattering, and the most imperfect of all. However, the question was—'What would I do now?' And at the time, I was confident in my answer. Perhaps I realized it the minute I allowed myself to be captivated to him.

The answer was—'Few sins are unavoidable. He'll come across you, break your shell, capture you, and drown you in it. You won't even feel, and lastly, give him your all.'

The good part was that I was willing to commit that sin— his sin; viciously, thoroughly, sensually, and contentedly.

And the worst was yet to come, and believe me when I say that they always do.