Noah bent down to pick up the measuring tape, his cheeks flushed deep red. His gaze flickered away in embarrassment, unable to look her in the eye, yet also too ashamed to lower his head and see the area he was supposed to measure.
"Nate." Evelyn turned around, cupping the boy's face in her hands and forcing him to meet her eyes. "You say you've grown up, yet you're still afraid to touch the body of the person you like?"
"I… I'm not really used to it. Sorry… Eve."
"When did you develop that bad habit of only using one word? You have to call me 'sister.'"
"Sorry, sister."
Evelyn pulled over a chair and pressed down on his shoulders, making him sit. She leaned over him, her palms resting against his warm cheeks. "It's because sister taught you too well, Nate."
"Taught me too well?"
"A girl's body isn't something to be touched casually—you remember that lesson very well. But… the person who loves you is the exception."
Evelyn's eyes curved into soft crescents, a gentle, captivating smile on her lips. "Physical closeness and contact are also part of loving and being loved, Nate. You can touch sister."
"But… I feel too embarrassed."
"Then isn't it unfair that sister has already touched every inch of you?"
"When?" In Noah's memory, there was only that one time—the intimate contact steeped in desire, a mix of excruciating pain and overwhelming pleasure.
They had always avoided the subject in the past, keeping up the appearance of a normal, proper relationship on the surface, even though they had long since crossed the line. Evelyn bringing it up now perhaps meant they had to confront it directly.
He gazed straight into the woman's eyes, seeing his own bewildered face reflected in them. He suppressed his wildly racing heartbeat, trying to think of what explanations or excuses they would need once that last veil was removed. But Evelyn simply smiled softly and said, "When? When you were little, of course—when you changed your own diapers and bathed yourself. Wetting the bed even at that age, were you proud of it?"
"Oh… that's what you meant." Noah breathed a sigh of relief, his heartbeat slowly steadying as the tension suddenly drained away.
"What else would I mean?" Evelyn lightly tapped the bridge of his nose and straightened up. "Can you handle it now? Shall we start?"
"Isn't it a little early? I'm not mentally prepared…"
"What were you thinking about? Sister was talking about measuring your hip circumference, you little pervert."
"I-I was talking about measuring hip circumference too!" Noah scratched his head awkwardly, flustered as he tried to cover it up.
"Hmm. Go ahead."
Evelyn turned around, presenting her back to him. Noah extended the measuring tape and wrapped it around her full, perky hips. The smooth, lustrous curves of her peach-like bottom flowed naturally and softly into her slender waist, creating a perfect proportion with her long legs.
He was supposed to get used to touching her, to gradually become comfortable with it, but the moment he actually made contact, the nervousness was unavoidable. Evelyn's figure truly had no imperfections—every line was soft, graceful, and alluring, enough to stir anyone's imagination.
"Nate, haven't you finished measuring yet? You've been staring at sister's backside for a long time."
"Ah… yeah. Sorry." Noah tugged on the tape, snapping out of his daze. He carefully aligned the two ends and took the proper measurement.
"Done." His face still red, he stood up and reported the three measurements to Evelyn, his eyes lowered, not daring to look at her.
"Nate." Evelyn called to him gently. As he lifted his head a little, she suddenly cupped his face and kissed him. Her soft, rosy lips pressed firmly against his, her tongue slowly slipping inside, seeking and claiming.
He stared at Evelyn in a daze. The woman's eyes were half-lidded and seductive as she savored the pleasure and sweetness of the moment.
After a long while, Evelyn finally released him. Leaning in close to his ear, she whispered tenderly, "Start getting used to it from here. You're not allowed to touch any girl besides sister, okay?"
"I… I know."
"Alright, alright. You've been tired all morning. Rest well this afternoon." She stroked his cheek. "Go take a nap. Sister has to prepare for her project."
"Yeah…"
Noah lay down on his side under the covers. He took one last look at Evelyn's back as she sat at the desk, then closed his eyes. His consciousness gradually drifted off.
...
When he woke up, it was nearly sunset. The already gloomy sky had grown even darker. As Noah slowly came to, he caught the floral scent lingering around his nose and felt the soft, warm weight gently pressing down on him.
Perhaps stirred by his movement, the woman tightened her hold. "Don't move. Let sister hug you a little longer."
"It's almost dinnertime. I'll order some takeout. You rest more, Eve."
"No… Tomorrow is Christmas. Come out to eat with sister tonight."
Hearing Evelyn mention it, Noah remembered that tomorrow was Christmas. Fortunately, he hadn't planned on giving her those long boots as a Christmas gift anyway.
Last Christmas, he had spent it with Lila Vale. They had wandered through the streets, looking at all the carefully decorated storefronts and buying plenty of things. Back then the girl had been so willful and demanding that what should have been a sweet time had only left him feeling drained.
Spending it with Evelyn would surely feel different—no exhaustion like that.
The sky continued to darken, night spreading like a curtain. Lights came on outside the window, neon signs beginning to glow as the vibrant nightlife of Loane City emerged. The snow on the roads still hadn't melted, lending the cold winter scene its full atmosphere.
Evelyn let go of Noah, sat up, and smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes. She slipped on her slippers and got out of bed. "Get up. Sister will take you out for dinner."
"Then I want lamb hot pot." Noah stretched and got up as well.
"Alright, alright. Sister will treat you, little glutton."
A knock sounded at the door. The two of them exchanged a glance. Noah offered first, "I'll get it."
"Go on. Whoever's knocking on my residence hall door is probably her."
Noah still hadn't figured out who Evelyn was referring to. He opened the door. The woman outside immediately popped a party popper in her hand—bang!—followed by an enthusiastic, cheerful voice: "Eve, Merry Christmas!"
Colorful streamers rained down all over Noah's shoulders and hair. Grace took a closer look and realized the person in front of her wasn't Evelyn.
"Oh, it's Noah. Merry Christmas."
"You scared me half to death, Grace."
Grace was wearing a white knit sweater, her long hair styled into an elegant updo at the back of her head. Her fair, refined face had light makeup, giving her a gentle yet cool beauty that didn't quite match her warm, energetic personality.
"Sorry about that. I thought it was you, Eve."
"So it's fine to scare me?" Evelyn stood behind Noah, brushing the streamers off his shoulders as she spoke calmly.
"You're not the type to get scared anyway. Here, I prepared Christmas gifts for you two."
As she spoke, Grace picked up the gifts at her feet and handed one to each of them, her expression earnest. Noah looked down at the elegantly wrapped box in his hands and said awkwardly, "Grace, tomorrow is Christmas. Today is only Christmas Eve."
"It's tomorrow? Oh well, Christmas Eve works too. Have you guys eaten yet? Want to go out together? My treat."
"Not yet. We were just about to head out." Noah turned his head, his eyes seeking Evelyn's opinion. After all, sister was the one who made the decisions.
"Let's go. Keep Grace company—she's all alone tonight."