When She Walks In Uninvited
1333 Words
KENDRICK
I woke up before she did. Yulia was still curled against my chest, breathing slowly, completely relaxed like nothing in the world could reach her here.
For a second, I just watched her. My arm tightened around her instinctively.
Then—
“Boom, boom, boom!!” The knock was neither soft nor polite. It was insistent.
I exhaled through my nose. Whoever it was, they clearly didn’t value their life.
Another knock. Then the door handle moved.
My jaw tightened. “Seriously?” I muttered under my breath.
I gently slid out from under Yulia and pulled the duvet over her before walking toward the door, rubbing my face once.
I opened it. And immediately regretted not sleeping through it.
Celeste.
Sunglasses on. Even indoors. Her large purse hung off her shoulder like she owned the place. She smiled like she had planned this moment.
“Kendrick,” she said brightly. “Wow. You look… domesticated.”
I stared at her. “It’s almost 7 a.m.”
“And?”
“Why are you here?”
She pushed past me without waiting for permission. “Wow. No welcome? No hug? This is what success does to men?”
“Celeste.”
She finally looked around the room. Then stopped. Her gaze landed on the bed. On the shape under the duvet.
Silence.
A slow smile spread across her face. “Oh!”
I stepped in front of her immediately. “Don’t start.”
But she was already walking closer.
“Don’t start what?” she whispered, amused. “You don’t usually have company in your bed.”
“She’s sleeping.”
“I can see that.”
Celeste tilted her head slightly. “That must be her.”
I said nothing.
She turned back to me slowly. “This is serious?”
“Define serious.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Oh, it’s worse than I thought.”
I exhaled. “You’re not staying long.”
“I just got here.”
“Exactly.”
She ignored me again and walked toward the bed.
“Celeste,” I warned.
Yulia shifted slightly under the duvet. That movement changed everything. Celeste stopped immediately, watching her properly now, no longer joking.
Then she turned back to me, voice lower. “You didn’t tell me it was like this.”
“I didn’t need to.”
“That’s not how families like ours work, Kendrick.”
I rubbed my jaw. “What do you want?”
Her smile came back, but slower this time. Sharper. “I want to know her.”
“No.”
She laughed softly. “That’s interesting.”
“She’s asleep.”
“And you’re protecting her already.” Her eyes narrowed slightly. “That’s very interesting.”
Before I could respond—
“Kendrick…?” Yulia’s voice was sleepy and soft.
Both of us froze. Celeste’s eyes flicked to me instantly, amusement returning.
“Oh,” she gushed. “She’s awake!”
I shook my head at her childishness and turned immediately. Yulia sat up slightly, hair messy, blinking slowly as she adjusted to the light. Then she saw Celeste. She tilted her head, like putting two and two together.
“Hi,” Yulia said carefully.
Celeste smiled brightly. “Hi! I’m Celeste,” she said, walking closer and extending a hand. “Kendrick’s cousin.”
Yulia shook it slowly. “Yulia.”
“I know.”
That made Yulia pause.
Celeste smirked. “He doesn’t talk a lot, but I know a lot now.”
I stepped forward. “Celeste.”
“What?” she said innocently. “I’m just being honest.”
Yulia looked between us now, more awake. More alert. “Oh… okay…”
I opened my mouth, but Celeste interrupted.
“I’m family,” she said casually. “You don’t need to worry. You’re safe.”
Yulia looked at me immediately, like she was asking what Celeste knew. Celeste noticed too.
“Oh,” she said lightly, turning toward Yulia. “Am I… missing something?”
I stepped in. “Enough.”
But she kept going. “You look cute.”
“Thank you?” Yulia answered, more like questioned, taken aback by my cousin’s boldness and loud persona.
“Enough.” I walked toward Celeste. “You’re done here.”
She tilted her head. “I just arrived.”
“I know. Give me a minute. I’ll be with you shortly.”
“Okay.” She smiled and grabbed her bag.
But before she left, she leaned slightly toward Yulia. Her smile faded just a fraction. “Just be careful with him,” she added softly, then winked like it meant nothing. Then she looked at me and shrugged. “I’m just a girl’s girl.”
And she walked out. The door closed behind her.
“She’s something else.” Yulia chuckled.
“Don’t remind me,” I grunted, moved toward her, and kissed her. “Good morning, Peaches.”
“Good morning, babe.” She smiled and kissed me again.
“I love waking up with you like this.” I brushed a strand of her hair behind her ears.
“Me too.” She murmured.
“Good.” I grinned and stood. “Come on, let’s shower.”
She placed her hand in mine, and we headed toward the bathroom.
After showering, when we reached the dining room, Celeste was already there. Plate in front of her. Completely unbothered like she owned the place.
She looked up mid-bite and smiled. “Oh good, you’re alive.”
I stopped in the doorway. “You look comfortable.”
Celeste shrugged, chewing slowly. “I was hungry. You were taking long.”
Yulia let out a soft laugh beside me, adjusting her dress like she wasn’t used to mornings that felt… like this.
I walked in slowly. “There’s something called waiting.”
“I don’t do that,” Celeste said simply.
I pulled a chair out for Yulia before sitting beside her. “Clearly.”
Celeste glanced between us, eyes flicking with that annoying curiosity she never bothered to hide.
“You two are painfully domestic,” she said.
Yulia choked lightly on her water. “We’re not—”
“Don’t mind her,” I muttered, cutting in.
Celeste grinned. “Relax, I’m joking.”
But her eyes lingered a second too long on Yulia before she turned back to her plate.
“I will say, though,” she added, pointing slightly with her fork, “whoever cooked this deserves rights, respect, and possibly a salary increase.”
I exhaled a short laugh. “You could contribute.”
“Please… Mr. Billionaire,” she laughed at her own joke.
Yulia watched her, quieter, but not uncomfortable. Just observant.
Celeste leaned forward slightly. “So, Yulia.”
Yulia blinked. “Yeah?”
“You’re smarter than him, right?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Wow.”
Celeste ignored me completely. “Mhmmm… don’t let him control you.”
Yulia smiled faintly. “I don’t know about control here.”
“It is,” Celeste said. “Trust me.”
God, this girl.
Yulia, however, seemed to relax a little. “You’re… not what I expected,” she admitted.
Celeste raised a brow. “What did you expect?”
“I don’t know… colder?”
I almost laughed.
Celeste nodded slowly, as if she accepted that. “Fair.”
Then she leaned back in her chair, suddenly less playful. “Speaking of expectations,” she said casually, “your parents are coming tomorrow.”
“How did you know?” Yulia asked quietly.
Celeste took another bite like she hadn’t just dropped a bomb into the middle of the table.
“My aunt says a lot in the family chat.”
“I see,” Yulia murmured, her fingers tightening slightly around her glass.
Yulia slowly looked at me. And I already knew what she was thinking before she even said it.
Everything just got more complicated.
- Writer
