Rebirth: Flirting with a Dangerous Billionaire

Attraction

His breath on my ear makes my stomach fill with butterflies, and before I can respond, he moves toward his room. He slams the door behind him with such force that the wall I had been clutching onto shook behind me. A bolt of energy shoots through my body, evaporating the tension in my legs on its way. My legs. Now jelly, are in no position to be supporting my weight. My brain reels as I slide down the wall helplessly, landing with a thud. I wince as my tailbone collides with the cold hard floor.

I wait in a daze, aware that my body is beginning to wake up. There is an ache in my chest where my heart has been racing, not the fluttery kind. It was the kind of pounding one might describe as primal. Maybe Mara had a heart defect, or I just wanted him… or worse. These palpitations were not regular. I had experienced attraction before, but never like this. There was an element of fear that made it more alluring. His eyes had bore straight through me and had exposed me as an imposter. To get closer to him could be my downfall. I bury my face in my hands and remind myself that he is out of bounds. I must keep a reasonable distance from Mara's family, I'm fake, and it's dangerous.

Forcing my head to turn, I look at Cain's door. Part of me thought he might be standing there. It was that feeling of paranoia you get when you're heightened. It was like something might be quietly haunting me, observing, but it was closed. This was silly. Ignoring the sharp pain at the base of my spine, I scrambled up and turned to face the door to Mara's room. The adrenaline rushing through my body was causing me to shake. For what seemed like an eternity, I fumbled with the door handle. Eventually, I managed to push it open. I hastily closed the door behind me, and as the pressure lifted, I could finally breathe. As much as I wanted this, I was used to being alone. Who knew families could be this stifling? Something was digging into my back, and I noticed someone had installed a deadbolt lock on the door- curious.

I now find myself needing space, and in the circumstances, this was a welcome gift. Knowing there would be no prying parents tonight, I slid the lock into it with a reassuring click. I looked around, feeling secure enough to take in my surroundings without the need to keep up appearances. The room is spacious and minimalist. The first thing to catch my attention is the bed squished up against the wall. Although you could fit my entire flat in here, the location seemed odd. Apart from its placement, the bed's design is in keeping with the room, which is...floral and feminine. It was not to my taste; yet, it had clearly been decorated by a professional and reflected the little I know of Mara.

A bay window on the opposite wall bathed the room in moonlight, giving the room ethereal quality. It made me uneasy, like I could wake up from this dream at any moment. Luckily, I can't dwell on it. A glint in the corner of the room catches my attention. My heart stopped realising that the light was reflecting off a door handle. This family is odd. Is that a connecting door to Cain's room? Full of resolve, excitement, and reckless abandon, I march forward and fling the door open in an act so dramatic I could have won an Oscar. It was a tough crowd as bathroom fixtures aren't known for their love of theatre. I am happy no one saw that. Mara's face cringed back at me in the mirror as if she was judging me.

I paused to collect myself and, in the silence, I could hear discreet movement beyond the separating wall. I glanced at the bed behind me. It was as far away as possible without being in another room. Mara seems to have a low opinion of Cain. It makes sense. Unlike me, she probably considered him a brother, even if not by blood. He had just the right amount of intensity to cause a sibling to feel uncomfortable. I hope he won't hear me use the bathroom. The bathroom, like the room, is sophisticated and therefore unremarkable. So, I made my way across the room and stretched out across the bed. The bed was big, bigger than my single one at home. I enjoyed the weightlessness that can only be achieved by an expensive mattress but moved as I felt myself drifting off. I couldn't sleep yet; I didn't have enough information to imitate Mara consistently. After reluctantly pulling myself up, I began looking for clues that might reveal who Mara was. If I was going to make this work, I had to fool those closest to me.

To my deep disdain, the wardrobe is full of pastel colours, primarily light dresses. I already missed the jeans and band shirts I found comfortable. Her clothing was uninformative, nothing saucy or scandalous, no matter how deep I looked. The shelves' indicated Mara was a high achiever and were littered with awards and ribbons. I doubt I can maintain that level of perfection. Sitting in a drawer, I find a few sketchbooks containing clothing drawings. This, combined with a pile of fabric swatches, suggested Mara had an interest in fashion. Had, was, did. I realise I'm talking about her like she's dead, I must. If I think about this slipping away…I can't.

Anyway, the room reflects my initial opinion of Mara, uninteresting. A stereotypical rich girl. It wasn't adding up though, Mara wasn't ordinary, and the evidence covered my arms. I seeking a journal or a computer, a secret passion for the occult hidden inside a book or something. Anything which explained how a seemingly everyday woman had woken up and decided to carve ancient symbols into her arms and what that had to do with me.

Some essential items were removed. Interestingly whoever had taken Mara's belongings had neglected the layer of dust accumulated in her absence. As it stood, I could only guess what was missing by the shapes left in the dust. I pull open a drawer in frustration, makeup, and... a phone charger? But no phone. Mara was likely not as minimalist as they would have me believe; this place is desolate. Someone had expected Mara to return here and made sure there had been no clues left.

My exploration at an end, I decided to unpack my hospital bag since all the cupboards were now open. I tuck away the last dress and bend to place the overnight suitcase underneath the bed. It catches on to something. Something small but big enough to get wedged between the bag and the bed frame. No? Really?

It's a mobile phone.

I grab the phone and crack my head off the bed frame in my haste. It takes a few minutes for the room to stop spinning. Amidst the nauseating pain, I remember I have recently been hospitalised for head trauma. In the end, excitement won out over pain and ignoring the spots in my vision, I stumbled across to the drawer where I had seen the phone charger. It fit the port. The wait began, and I placed the phone on the bed beside me. Whoever had been in here had not seen the phone. Or was it bait? I know, I sound paranoid.

I embrace the silence. Even if this room was still spinning from my collision with the bed, the house was still. My body seems to have reached its limit and is on the brink of giving up. I can feel my eyes grow heavy as sleep entwines itself around me. It had been a long day, and I was exhausted. With my new trim, frail physique, I'm not sure how I will have the endurance to function. My mind fatigued, allowed rouge thoughts of my old life, which I had tried to suppress until now. I continue to resist sleep. It might all disappear by morning and go back to normal.

I felt a vibration beside me and was vaguely aware that the phone screen lit up. Somewhere far away, I heard a door click. I felt my grip on consciousness slipping, so I couldn't be sure if I could see something blocking the light beneath the door. Am I dreaming, or is that a gentle creak of floorboards outside? The room loses focus, and I let go.