FORBIDDEN

Chapter six

jasmine

I wondered how I would survive the three months in this house. Sebastian has changed since the last time I saw him. He has become cold and distant and looks scary.

I barely survived his presence in the kitchen earlier. He looked at me as if he wanted to…eat me? I don’t know.

I know he never allows me to wear such clothes, but I was in his house and there was no one else there. His guards were stationed outside the house and with the way Sebastian was, I knew they’d never dare enter the house without his permission.

Maybe he doesn’t want me wearing it around the house. I’d just stick to wearing them right here in my room because these are the only kind of clothes I feel comfortable in whenever I’m at home.

We barely exchanged pleasantries as he excused himself stating he has something to do and went to his room. I wasn’t wrong, his room was beside mine.

I was ready to sleep but the hotness of the room was becoming unbearable. I had thought I’d be able to ignore it as the air conditioner wasn’t on. The remote control was broken.

I didn’t want anything that would make me face Sebastian tonight but I guess I don’t have a choice.

Adjusting my night gown, which stopped mid-thigh, I grabbed the remote control and headed to his room.

I took in a shuddering sigh as I knocked gently on the door, but there was no response. I twisted the doorknob and surprisingly the door was not locked.

Could he be asleep? I thought aloud. Well he has to wake up and help me fix this, otherwise I won’t be able to sleep tonight.

When I entered the room, a small gasp left my lips as I closed the door behind me.

His room was large. His neatly arranged king-sized bed beckoned on me to have a feel but I resisted the urge to lay on it.

The ambience of the room was top notch…. Everting mirrored Sebastian’s personality. It was beautiful, although it was dark, all the bright light were turned off except for two dim lights which slightly illuminated the room.

Wait.

I almost got carried away, forgetting the reason I was here. The bed which I just admired was empty meaning he wasn’t sleeping.

“Sebastian?” I called in whisper but got no response.

Maybe he was downstairs, I turned to leave but something caught my attention. It was a portrait.

A portrait of a naked woman!!

So Sebastian is this obsessed with his fiancée’s body. I thought smiling to myself as moved closer to take a closer look.

As I stepped closer and trying to see through the dim room, I found out the picture looked a bit like me..

Wait. Is that a portrait of me??

No. It couldn’t be. Sebastian couldn’t have a portrait of me in his room.

Just as I was about to go forward to get a closer look, I heard that familiar, deep, baritone voice from behind.

“You need something?” He asked and he turned around immediately, chest heaving frantically. My gaze rested on him. My eyes snapped wide with terror at the sight before me.

Water droplets trickled down his broad chest. The faint mint of his body wash hit me immediately and I didn’t need to be told that he had just come out of the bathroom.

My pulse quickened more.

His white towel which hung loosely around his waist was on the verge of slipping out, pulling attention to his ripped abdomen and the path leading down to the V of his lower region.

My goodness

My mouth went dry. My skin got so heated up that my blood boiled until I was left with nothing but vapors.

I turned tomato-red with embarrassment. If I had know he was in the bathroom I would never had come in.

Never!!

This would be the first time I’d ever stand close to a naked man. Yes I’m with Jake but he has always been conservative and never allowed us go that far.

He looked at me like I had invaded his private space and yes, I did invaded his spac, otherwise I wouldn’t be standing face to face with my half-naked step brother in his room.

“I- I am sorry, Sebastian…” I stuttered my eyes stinging with tears of embarrassment. I’ll just…” the words didn’t come out as I gestured toward the door, about to leave when he stopped me.

“Mine?” He called me and I paused, “ you need something?” He asked again; this time, his voice was softer than the first.

Years ago, I’d blush and giggle whenever he called me the pet name he has carved out of my name, ‘ mine.’

I’d playfully tell him he was wrong as the ‘mine’ at the end of my name didn’t sound like the possessive pronoun ‘mine’ which he decided to call me.

He’d shrug and say it didn’t matter, that I was his sister, after all, and that I belonged to him.

Mine became his pet name for me. But for the post three years, i felt rather disturbed than flattered whenever he called me that because it sounded…personal?

“Yes. Umm. The ac remote is broken. I was hoping you’d help me fix it.” I said when I cleared my throat, forcing my voice to remain steady.

“ let me see,” he voice was calm not knowing the storm raging inside me at our proximity.

I stretched out my trembling hand, handling the remote to him.

He received it from me, examined it carefully and walked toward his closet. “You’ve been in your room all day. Why is that. He asked casually, his back still turned on me as he pulled something out from the drawer in his closet.

“Nothing much, I’m just resting from the journey from home. I replied, peeping to see what he was doing, I was eager to leave his presence.

“Okay, here you go,” he handed the remote to me, “ the battery was dead, it should work now,” he added.

“Thank you,” I said, Goodnight,” I turned to leave but he stopped me.

"Jasmine…"

I froze in shock