Seduced by My Bestie's Brother

Alone with him in the basement!

~Thelma POV~

I instantly stop, as if he has some kind of remote controlling me. My body refuses to move. Every nerve, every muscle, every part of me is frozen in place.

He is exactly as he was back then—unshakably confident, exuding an almost dangerous magnetism that makes it impossible to look away.

I stand stagnant, unable to even take a single step. My mind races, trying to process what is happening, but it’s like trying to grasp smoke. I am overwhelmed by the sensation of him being so close, so present. And then, the next thing I know, he is right in front of me, in all his full glory, every inch of him commanding my attention.

Rich. He is here. And he is magnificent. His eyes burn into me with such intensity that the world around us seems to vanish. The cowardice I usually feel, the nervous shaking, the hesitation, is gone. All that exists is the tension between the two of us.

I attempt to raise my eyes to look fully at him, but I cannot. It is a habit I have developed over the past few years: to avoid his gaze. Not for lack of trying, but because it overwhelms me every time. My chest tightens, my pulse races, and my thoughts scatter into a thousand directions I cannot control.

He takes a few more steps toward me until only inches separate our bodies. I feel the air between us thicken, charged with something I cannot name, something dangerous and magnetic.

“Look at me!” he commands in his husky, intoxicating voice. The sound reverberates through me, making my skin tingle and my heart skip erratically. I cannot obey. My body refuses. My pride refuses.

Seeing my disobedience, he raises his hand to my chain, tilting my face so that I must look at him. His piercing blue eyes bore into mine, and I feel like he can see everything inside me, the fear, the resistance, the hesitation.

“You know very well that I hate it when you disobey me,” he murmurs. His voice is husky, commanding, almost vibrating with power that makes the room shrink around us. The rest of the building, the lights, the party, the people, they fade into nothing. It is only Rich and me.

How did I get into this state again? How did I allow myself to be so shaken? He is the last person I expected, and yet here he is, acting exactly as he always did with the women he desires.

I grit my teeth, forcing myself to stand taller, to breathe. I am not the girl I used to be. I am not vulnerable. I will not let him control me.

“Disobey you? Who are you? What do you expect me to do,are you my father?” I snap, finally breaking free from his hold and storming away toward the house. My lungs burn as I take deep, uneven breaths. It is as if he has been holding my breath hostage all this time. The power he has over me is intense, maddening, and frightening.

“I need cold water,” I say to Recho, who is busy preparing something in the kitchen.

“Water? That is strange. I never expected that you would need water in this weather,” she comments, raising an eyebrow, clearly amused by my urgency.

If only you knew what your jerk of a brother is doing to me, I think silently, swallowing the words back down. They hover at the back of my throat, unsaid. I pass her, heading for the fridge, grabbing the cold water, and drink greedily, finishing every last drop. Recho watches, her amusement apparent, but I barely notice. My mind is still reeling from the encounter.

---

One hour later

The party is now in full swing. The lights shine brighter, laughter grows louder, and the energy in the room is almost suffocating. I do everything possible to avoid Rich, moving farther away every time he approaches. The crowd provides a small shield; no one notices my anxious glances or my panicked steps.

Despite my nerves, I find myself slowly enjoying the procession of the party. Recho’s mother is laughing freely, surrounded by friends, colleagues, and family. The warmth and joy in the room are contagious, though I try to remain cautious, keeping my distance.

By 11:00 p.m., many guests are drunk, dancing, and chatting loudly. I retreat to a quiet corner, sinking into a chair, feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing down on me. Recho is nowhere in sight, but I don’t need to guess where she is; she’s probably off charming someone or catching up with friends.

“Oh, Thelma! I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Where is Recho?” Recho’s mother asks, concern creasing her face.

“I’m not certain,” I reply, my eyes scanning the room just in case I spot her.

“I want you to help me with something,” she continues. “The party is running out of drinks. There are drinks in the basement. I think you can get them with… Rich.”

My stomach drops. Not him again.

---

We move toward the basement, my body tense, every instinct screaming that this is a terrible idea. But I cannot refuse. He talks softly, words blending into unintelligible sounds as we descend.

Suddenly, the lights go out. Darkness wraps around me like a suffocating blanket. My skin pricks. My senses heighten. I sense him before I feel him ,a hand touches me.

“Let me go!” I struggle, but his grip is iron. Panic surges through me, my muscles trembling with exertion. He is impossibly strong; there is no way I can break free.

He leans closer, searching for my lips, and I twist, turn, and evade him, playing a desperate game of hide-and-seek. My heart hammers in my chest. Every nerve is alive.

Frustrated by my resistance, he places both hands on my cheeks, turning my face toward him. Darkness surrounds us, leaving only him, only his hands, only the faint scent of his cologne mingling with the musty basement air.

Then, without warning, his lips crash onto mine. Shock, panic and something raw, consuming, electrifies every part of me. I shove with every ounce of strength I have.

He stumbles, momentarily off balance. I don’t wait. I sprint toward the door, my heart pounding, breath ragged, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

I burst out of the basement, racing across the street back to my house. My mind spins. What is happening to my life? This is no longer just awkward encounters or anxiety at parties, it is chaos, raw and terrifying, and I have no idea how to navigate it.

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