Forbidden Desires I & II

Chapter 4: His Touches

I quickly put on my gown fast and and brushed my hair down with my hand I was a mess

Julian dressed up back sitting on the couch his face a bit blank and innocent as if nothing

has actually just happened now

I stood beside the dining table resting my ass a little bit on it my arms crossed

The door creaked open as the couples walked in, I gave them a soft smile

“What are y'all up to this morning” she said her eyes darting from Julian to me a soft smile animated her face

“Just talking you know” I managed to formed the words out of my mouth as Julian nodded in agreement

“Okay, I hope it went well” Mark, Julian's dad said resting on the sofa, and I forced a smile on my face, nodding.

I left. I went to my room and I couldn't stop thinking of what we just did despite the fact that we would soon be family.

Guilt filled my heart because mum has suffered a lot in all aspects of her life, after the death of my dad

But she never gave up, so she deserves to fall in love again and here I am at the verge of destroying it. Julian on the other hand does not look like he cares all he wants to to get everything under a girl's skirt while I can't help but give in to it.

I bit my lips hard I could feel the taste of iron blood in my mouth as I picked my fingers

I kept on turning on my bed biting the inside of my cheeks until I fell asleep. I stayed in my room all day till the next day.

The sound of the alarm on my bed stand woke me up. I grunt loudly my face buried in the pillow using my hand to find the clock as I turned it off

“Annoying piece of s**t” I cursed before forcing myself to stand up, walking up to the bathroom

I've had the habit of not trying to sleep again whenever the morning alarm rings

I walked into the bathroom lazily, smearing toothpaste on my brush brushing my teeth

After that I walked downstairs in my night gown they were already in the dining mum placing the meals on the table as his dad helped her while Julian did other chores

“Good morning” mum and Mark greeted

“You woke up late” she said her eyes a bit wide open waiting for answers

“I was tired” I said

I picked up the soft bristle broom as I sweep the floor the whole time I acted like I didn't see him I could feel his eyes on me from time to time

After cleaning the house we sat down for breakfast. After breakfast. I stayed in my room, wallowing in guilt till night.

Dinner was quiet at first. Mom and Mark talked about paint colors and whether the backyard needed new lights for the reception. Julian answered when spoken to, polite and distant. I pushed food around

my plate and tried not to look at him too long.

Every time our knees brushed under the table, something tight pulled low in my stomach. I moved my leg away. A minute later it happened again. Neither of us said anything.

After dinner I helped clear the dishes. Julian stood at the sink rinsing plates. Mom and Mark had already gone to the living room. The kitchen felt too small with just the two of us.

“You okay?” he asked quietly, not looking at me.

“Yeah.” My voice came out thinner than I wanted. “You?” He shut off the water and dried his hands. “It’s weird hearing them talk like we’re already a family.”

I leaned against the counter. “We kind of are.”

Julian turned then. His grey eyes held mine for a moment longer than they should have. The air between us shifted, the same way it had in the guest room that first night. I could still remember the exact sound of the

door clicking shut behind us. I could still remember how easy it had been to forget the rest of the world.

Footsteps approached. We both stepped back at the same time. Mom walked in, smiling, and the moment

broke.

Later, when the house finally went quiet, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Julian’s room was directly below mine. I could hear the faint creak of his bed when he moved. Every sound felt louder than it should have.

Around midnight I got up for water. The hallway was dark. I moved carefully, not wanting to wake anyone. When I reached the kitchen, a soft light was already on.

Julian stood by the fridge in a black T-shirt and sweatpants, drinking from a bottle of water. He looked up when he heard me.

“Couldn’t sleep either?” he asked sparing me a glance before drinking his water again

I shook my head. “Too quiet. Or maybe not quiet enough.”

He gave a small, tired smile and held the bottle out. I took it, our fingers brushing. The contact lasted only a second, but it was enough to make my pulse jump. I set the bottle down and leaned against the

counter opposite him.

For a while neither of us spoke. The refrigerator hummed. Somewhere upstairs a floorboard settled.

“This is harder than I thought,” I admitted.

Julian’s voice was low. “Which part?”

“The dare was supposed to be simple. Just… fun. Temporary.”

He studied my face. “And now?” I didn’t answer right away, the truth sat heavy in my chest. Somewhere between the first time in the empty classroom and the night in my room after dinner, something had

started shifting. I still wanted him. That hadn’t changed. But the wanting felt different now. Heavier. More dangerous.

“I don’t know,” I said finally. “It doesn’t feel temporary anymore.

Julian stepped closer. Not enough to touch, but close enough that I could feel the warmth of him. His voice dropped even lower

“Sam—”

A soft sound came from the hallway. Both of us froze. Mom’s voice, sleepy and muffled, called out, “Everything okay down there?”

Julian moved first. He took a smooth step back and opened the fridge again, like he had only been looking for something to drink. I grabbed a random glass from the cupboard and filled it with water, my hands not quite steady.

“We’re fine,” I called back, trying to sound normal. “Just getting water.”

There was a pause, then the soft sound of her door closing again.

We stayed still for several seconds, listening. When it was clear she had gone back to bed, Julian let out a quiet breath. The almost-moment hung between us, unfinished.

He looked at me across the dim kitchen. Something unreadable passed through his eyes.

“We should be more careful,” I said.

He nodded. My throat felt tight.

He didn’t move right away. Neither did I. The space between us still felt charged, like one more step would undo all the careful distance we had just put back in place.

Finally Julian turned toward the hallway. “Good night, Sam.”

ss of water still in my hands. The house was quiet again, but it no longer felt the

same.

The dare had a clear ending once. A few more days, then it would be over. That had been the deal. Simple. Temporary.

Now Julian slept one floor below me, and the thought of stopping didn’t feel simple at all.

I set the glass down and lay back against the pillows, staring at the dark ceiling. Somewhere underneath me, a bed frame creaked once and then went still.

I closed my eyes, as I dozed off