The winter sun dipped low, and in deep winter darkness fell fast. The light had already begun to fade as they walked all the way back, returning to the start. They stood at the entrance to the apartment complex, and the girl's hand, which had held his the entire time, finally let go.
"Today was really fun. Thank you for spending it with me." Lila Vale's face held a sweet, pure smile, her eyes curving into soft crescents.
"It's nothing. As long as it keeps your parents happy. Thanks for helping me keep it from them."
"Actually I've been thinking… what if we didn't have to hide anything? What if…" She gathered her courage and looked straight into Noah's handsome face. "What if we could go back to how things were before? Noah… can we?"
Her heartbeat spiked. Lila desperately wanted a yes, but the boy's expression stayed neutral, no trace of the old eager warmth in his eyes. She already knew the answer. Before he could speak she shook her head.
"Never mind. Forget I said anything. Sorry for the trouble today."
"Let's head back. It's almost dinner time."
"Yeah…" She watched Noah turn toward the complex, then suddenly called after him. "Wait."
"What's up?"
He turned, looking at her in confusion. Lila stepped close, rose onto her toes, and kissed him squarely on the lips. His mind went blank.
The girl's lips were soft, carrying a gentle sweetness like light cherry blossoms in warm April—pure and beautiful.
"We never kissed when we were together, did we?" Her face flushed pink, a shy crimson spreading from her cheeks all the way to her ears.
Noah stood stunned, still not fully processing it. "Uh… yeah. I guess we didn't."
"We'll go back now. I'll keep waiting for you… until you're ready to come back to me."
He had no idea how to answer. He turned and saw the slender, graceful figure behind him. His heart slammed to a stop like it had been punched. Evelyn Miller's ice-cold face was the very last thing he wanted—or feared—to see right now.
"Eve, how are you—"
The woman ignored him, her gaze fixed on Lila, voice freezing. "I didn't expect Lila Vale to have a habit of putting her hands on things that aren't hers. Quite the surprise."
"Noah was never yours to begin with. You're his sister, not—"
"Lila." He cut her off softly. "Sorry, I'll talk to you later. We're going home."
"But… wait—"
Noah didn't pause. Head lowered like he had committed some terrible crime, he walked up to Evelyn. She seized his hand, shot Lila one last hostile glare, then led the boy into the stairwell.
…
All the way up to their front door Evelyn said nothing. Her grip only tightened, crushing his fingers harder and harder until they ached.
The sharp click of her boot heels on every step sounded like hammers against his chest, feeding his growing dread.
"We're back." Laura Miller was inside. She smiled at them from the doorway. "You brought Nate home too. Why the long face? Class reunion not fun?"
"Didn't get the soy sauce," Evelyn said flatly.
"Then what's that in your hand…"
"I picked it up."
"Well, no big deal. Don't look so upset." Laura reached up and ruffled Noah's hair. "Nate, go sit for a bit. Mom and your sister will handle dinner."
"I can help," he offered, glancing carefully at Evelyn.
"No need. Just sit."
Laura and Evelyn disappeared into the kitchen. Noah sat on the couch, back straight, head down, stomach twisting as he imagined every possible punishment his sister might have in store. The longer he sat there, the worse the dread grew.
His sister had never solved anything by spanking him.
While he worried, plate after plate of fragrant food came out of the kitchen. Night fell. They sat at the table, but no one spoke much. Laura tried to keep the conversation light, yet she gradually sensed the strange tension between Evelyn and Noah and fell quiet too.
When Laura finished eating she stood. "Mom's heading to bed early. You two can handle the dishes."
"Okay. Night, Mom."
"Night."
The table sank back into silence. Noah set down his utensils, hands resting neatly on his thighs, and spoke earnestly. "Eve, I'm sorry."
Evelyn ignored the apology. "Finished eating?"
"Yes."
"Go take a shower, then straight to bed. I'll do the dishes."
"But…" He hesitated, unsure what else to say.
Evelyn glanced at him, voice cold. "Do I need to repeat myself?"
"I'm going."
Even though he didn't understand her intention, Noah obeyed. He grabbed fresh clothes, stepped into the bathroom, stripped, and turned on the hot water. Steam billowed up, thick and white, as if he had slipped into a dream.
He had just gotten his body wet when he noticed the tall, slender silhouette standing right outside the glass door. "Eve? You out there?"
"Open it."
"Huh?" Noah thought he had misheard.
"Don't make me say it twice."
He froze for a second, wrapped the towel around his waist, and nervously slid the glass door open.
Evelyn wore a white button-up shirt, the black bra beneath faintly visible through the fabric, hugging her full curves. Below that, denim shorts cut high on her thighs, exposing long, straight legs—slim, toned, lines sleek and smooth.
"Sit." She pointed at the small stool in the bathroom.
This time Noah didn't hesitate. He sat obediently. Evelyn squeezed some body wash into her palm, then pressed it to his narrow neck and began rubbing downward.
"If it gets dirty, it has to be washed clean. Your sister has told you that since you were little."
"I can wash myself. You should go rest, Eve."
"Can you really wash yourself clean? Do you even know how dirty you are right now?" She used heavy pressure, palms grinding hard against his skin, rubbing with all her strength until faint stinging flared everywhere she touched.
Every unhesitating stroke made Noah's cheeks burn with shame. When her hand finally slid across his lower stomach he couldn't take it anymore and grabbed her wrist. "I'll do it myself."
Evelyn didn't speak, didn't pull away. She simply stared into his eyes with a gaze like a shard of ice driven straight through. Helpless, he let his hand fall.
After she finished lathering and scrubbing every inch, Evelyn turned on the showerhead and let the water rinse him clean.
Spray splashed onto her, soaking the thin white shirt until the fabric clung to her body, revealing generous stretches of skin that drew the eye.
Finally she picked up the rough towel and pressed it to his dripping frame, scrubbing hard. His fair skin flushed red in stinging patches wherever she rubbed.
"Nate, you've been so bad. This is what you forced your sister to do."