YURI

CHAPTER TEN

I spent the rest of the day hiding in my room. Why? I had no idea… or maybe I did, but I didn’t want to admit it to myself. There was just something in the way Killian looked at me—like he could see past every wall I’d ever built—that gave me butterflies in my stomach. And I didn’t like it. Not one bit.

Butterflies were supposed to be sweet, harmless, romantic even… but these weren’t. These felt dangerous, like they could set off a chain reaction I wasn’t ready for. Every time I replayed that moment in my head—his eyes locking on mine, his expression unreadable—it made me shift uncomfortably in my seat.

And the worst part? The memory wouldn’t leave me alone. It clung to me like the faint scent of his cologne that I could still swear was lingering in the air. I pulled the blanket tighter around myself, trying to shake the thought away.

But no matter how many distractions I reached for—my phone, a book, even sketching—his face kept slipping back into my mind, uninvited and unwelcome.

There was a knock on the door before Mom’s head peeked into my room, then her whole body followed suit.

“Mom!” I almost screamed. “What are you doing walking around? You should be resting!”

She waved her hand like my concern was an annoying fly. “I just came to see if you’ll be coming down for dinner.”

“And you couldn’t send Maggie for that? Or… I don’t know… text me?” I raised an eyebrow, folding my arms.

Her lips curled into a mischievous smile. “Come on, honey, let’s go get something in your stomach. Don’t worry—Killian won’t be there.”

“Why? Where did he go?” I asked cautiously.

“Oh, he went back to New York—had some business meetings,” Mom replied casually, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

“Oh. And… why exactly are you telling me this?” I tilted my head, already regretting the question.

“I must say, having a crush on someone looks good on you,” she continued, her smile widening.

“Mom…” I groaned, dragging out the word as I tried to keep my face neutral.

“I mean, I thought you were gay,” she added bluntly, as if she was talking about the weather. “I was just waiting patiently for you to tell me, but you never did. And you never brought a boy home, so, you know…”

I threw my hands up. “Mom, I’m not gay—and I *don’t* have a crush on anyone.”

She looked at me, unconvinced. “Tell that to the butterflies in your belly.”

“Mom…” I whined, pretending to cry, which only made her burst into laughter.

“Okay, okay,” she said, still chuckling as she walked out of the room. I trailed behind her, rolling my eyes, though I could feel the stupid butterflies fluttering anyway.