Chapter 2

The next morning, I walked into school with my head down and my bag clutched tightly to my chest like a shield. My left cheek still felt tender from Mia’s slap, and every time I touched it, the memory rushed back the loud crack, the laughter, Lucian’s gentle fingers on my skin. I hadn’t slept much. My mind kept replaying his words, the way his voice dropped when he called me “curvy girl.”

I knew I shouldn’t think about him like that. Not when Mia wanted him too.

The hallway felt longer today. Whispers followed me like shadows. Someone had already started spreading the story of yesterday’s cafeteria incident, twisting it of course.

“Did you hear? The fat twin tried to sit with the popular girls again.”

“Embarrassing.”

I kept walking, eyes fixed on the floor tiles. My locker came into view and my stomach dropped. The ugly words from yesterday were still there, but someone had added more in fresh red marker: Whale. Desperate. Stay away from Lucian.

My hands shook as I opened the locker. My favorite notebook the one with little doodles and secret poems was missing. In its place was a note in Mia’s handwriting:

Stop dreaming about things you can’t have. He’ll never want someone like you. – M

Tears burned my eyes, but I blinked them back. I couldn’t cry here again. Not so soon.

“Lily?”

I turned around slowly. Mia stood a few feet away, flanked by two of her friends, her slim figure looking perfect in the school uniform. Her lips curved into a sweet smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Good morning, sister,” she said loudly enough for nearby students to hear. “I hope you’re not still upset about yesterday. You know I was just playing around, right?”

Her friends giggled.

I swallowed hard. “Mia… why are you doing this? We’re twins. I’ve always loved you. I still do.”

For a second, something flickered in her eyes maybe guilt? But it disappeared fast. She stepped closer, lowering her voice so only I could hear. “Because every time I look at you, I see everything I’m not. Those disgusting curves. The way boys stare at you when they think I’m not looking. It makes me sick. So stay in your lane, Lily. Or I’ll make sure you regret being born my twin.”

She patted my shoulder like a loving sister and walked away, laughing with her friends.

My knees felt weak. I leaned against the locker, trying to breathe. Why does she hate me so much? What did I ever do to deserve this?

The rest of the morning classes dragged. In Literature, I sat at the back as usual. When the teacher asked us to pair up for a project, I kept my head down, hoping no one would choose me.

A chair scraped beside me.

“Mind if I join you?”

My heart jumped. Lucian slid into the seat next to mine, his green eyes locking onto my face. He looked even better up close in the morning light sharp jaw, messy dark hair, that effortless bad-boy charm.

“Uh… sure,” I whispered, my cheeks heating up. “But… won’t your friends wonder why you’re sitting with me?”

He shrugged, leaning closer. “Let them wonder. I like sitting with interesting people.” His gaze dropped for a second to my chest before snapping back up. “How’s your cheek today?”

“It’s fine,” I lied quickly. “Really. You don’t have to keep checking on me.”

“I want to.” His voice was low, almost intimate. “Yesterday… I meant what I said. Your sister doesn’t get to treat you like that.”

My stomach fluttered. Being this close to him made my skin tingle. I could smell his cologne again, and it did strange things to my body. I shifted in my seat, suddenly aware of how my thick thighs pressed together under the desk.

We started working on the project analyzing a poem about hidden desire. How fitting. Every few minutes, Lucian’s hand would brush mine “accidentally.” Each touch sent sparks up my arm.

“You have really soft hands,” he murmured at one point, his thumb lingering on my wrist.

I pulled back gently. “Lucian… people are staring.”

“Let them.” He smiled, that crooked, dangerous smile. “I don’t care what they think.”

But I did. Because across the room, Mia was watching us with pure venom in her eyes. She whispered something to her friend, and both of them looked at me like I was prey.

By lunch, the rumors had gotten worse.

I sat alone at the edge of the cafeteria, poking at my food. My appetite was gone. Someone had “accidentally” spilled juice on my seat earlier, and my skirt was still damp. I just wanted the day to end.

Footsteps approached. I looked up, expecting more bullying.

It was Lucian again. He set his tray down across from me and sat without asking.

“You shouldn’t be here,” I said quietly, glancing around. “Mia’s going to”

“Fuck Mia,” he said calmly, picking up a fry. “I sit where I want. And right now, I want to sit with you.”

My heart raced. Part of me wanted to run, but another part the lonely, aching part wanted him to stay. We talked about small things: favorite movies, how much we both secretly hated group projects. He made me laugh once, a real laugh, and for a moment the cafeteria noise faded.

Then Mia appeared at the end of our table.

“Wow,” she said loudly. “My sister is really trying hard today. Lucian, you know she’s only doing this because she’s jealous of me, right? She always copies whatever I like.”

Lucian raised an eyebrow. “Doesn’t look like copying to me.”

Mia’s smile tightened. “You’ll see soon enough.” She gave me one last warning glare before walking off.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of anxiety. After the final bell, I went to my locker to grab my bag. Inside, I found my missing notebook torn pages scattered, and on the front cover, in big letters:

Stay away from Lucian or I will destroy you.

As I closed the locker, a warm hand touched my lower back.

“Lily,” Lucian said softly behind me. “Come with me for a bit. There’s something I want to show you.”

I turned. He was so close. His eyes were dark, intense, focused completely on me. My body reacted before my brain could a rush of heat low in my belly.

“I… I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I whispered.

But when he took my hand gently and pulled me toward the quiet back staircase, I didn’t resist.

My twin sister’s warning echoed in my head, but for the first time, I wanted to ignore it.

What was Lucian planning to show me?

My heart hammered against my ribs as Lucian gently tugged me down the quiet back staircase. The school was emptying fast, the usual loud chatter fading into distant echoes. His hand was warm around mine strong, confident. I knew I should pull away. Every logical part of me screamed that this was dangerous. Mia’s warning note still burned in my mind. But my body… my body wanted to follow him.

We slipped into a dimly lit hallway on the old wing of the building, the one rarely used after classes. Dust danced in the slanting afternoon light coming through the high windows. Lucian pushed open the door to an empty classroom at the end and pulled me inside, closing it softly behind us.

“Lucian…” I started, my voice barely above a whisper.

He turned to me, his green eyes darker than usual in the low light. Without saying anything at first, he stepped closer until my back gently touched the cool wall. His tall frame towered over me, making me feel small and strangely protected at the same time.

Slowly, almost reverently, he lifted his hand and traced my bottom lip with his thumb. The touch was feather light, but it sent electricity shooting through me. My breath hitched.

“You’re so soft,” he murmured, his voice husky. “Everywhere.”

His fingers trailed down, brushing along my jaw, my neck, and then lower. When his palm cupped my full breast through my uniform blouse, I gasped. The heat of his hand seeped through the fabric. My nipple tightened instantly under his touch.

“Lucian…” I almost moaned his name, my breath coming quicker now. My chest rose and fell rapidly against his hand. A warm, aching pulse started between my thighs.

“Please, Lily,” he whispered, leaning in so his forehead rested gently against mine. “Let me touch you. Just for a little while. Every time I look at you, you make my heart race like crazy. Those curves… your soft body… I can’t stop thinking about holding you. I like you, Lily. I really like you. And I know you like me too. You’re such a quiet, shy girl, but I see the way you look at me when you think I’m not watching.”

He squeezed my breast gently, thumb circling over the hardening peak. I bit my lip to hold back another sound. It felt so good too good. No one had ever touched me like this. Not with this kind of hunger.

“I want you,” he continued, voice dropping even lower as his other hand settled on my wide hip, pulling me closer. “I want to feel every inch of you. The way your thick thighs would wrap around me. How soft and warm you’d be pressed against me. I’ve been going crazy imagining it. Let me show you how much I crave you, curvy girl.”

His words wrapped around me like smoke. For a moment, I let myself lean into him, my hands coming up to grip his shirt. His mouth hovered so close to mine. I could almost taste the kiss I knew would be explosive.

But then reality crashed back.

Mia’s face flashed in my mind her hateful glare, her threats, her promise to ruin me. I couldn’t do this. Not like this. Not when it would give her more ammunition to destroy me.

I pushed against his chest, harder than I meant to. “No… Lucian, stop. We can’t.”

He stepped back immediately, though his hands lingered for a second longer, reluctant to let go. Confusion and desire warred on his handsome face. “Lily, wait”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, tears stinging my eyes. “I can’t. My sister… she’ll kill me. She’ll destroy everything.”

Before he could say anything else, I slipped past him and ran.

I burst out of the classroom, my legs carrying me down the hallway as fast as they could. My breasts bounced heavily with each step, my skirt swishing against my thick thighs. My face burned with a mix of shame, arousal, and fear. What had I almost done?

I didn’t stop running until I reached the side exit near the parking lot. Leaning against the wall to catch my breath, I tried to calm my racing heart.

That’s when I felt it eyes on me.

I turned my head slowly.

Mia stood partially hidden behind a pillar a short distance away, her arms crossed. Her expression was pure ice-cold fury. She had seen everything. Or enough.

A slow, dangerous smile curved her lips as our eyes met.

“I will destroy you, Lily,” she mouthed silently, the words clear enough to freeze my blood.

Then she turned and disappeared around the corner, leaving me standing there trembling.

The walk home felt longer than usual. My legs were heavy, and my mind wouldn’t stop replaying what happened in that empty classroom. Lucian’s warm hand on my breast, the way his voice sounded when he told me he craved me… I shivered even though the evening air was warm. I missed it already. I missed him. But fear sat heavier in my stomach. Mia had seen us. Or at least enough to make that chilling promise.

I pushed open the front door of our house, expecting chaos. Instead, the smell of Mom’s famous chicken stew greeted me. Normal. Almost comforting.

“I’m home,” I called softly.

Mia was already at the dining table, helping Mom set plates. She looked up and gave me a bright, perfect smile. “Hey, sis. How was the rest of your day?”

I froze in the doorway. This was the Mia everyone else saw the charming, loving twin. Mom beamed at both of us. “My beautiful girls. Come sit. Dinner’s ready.”

I sat down slowly, watching Mia across the table. She passed me the bowl of stew without a word, her expression calm. Too calm. We ate in relative peace. Dad talked about his workday, Mom asked about school projects. Mia chatted normally about her friends and an upcoming group assignment. No snide comments. No hidden jabs about my weight or my “disgusting curves.” She even asked me to pass the salt politely.

It terrified me.

Every time she smiled, I waited for the knife. But nothing came. The meal ended with Mom praising how well we were getting along lately. I helped clear the table in silence, my hands shaking slightly as I washed the dishes beside Mia.

Later that night, in our shared room (though Mia had made it very clear my side was “the messy one”), I lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Tears slipped down my cheeks quietly. I wiped them away, but more came.

What did I do to you, Mia? I thought. I’ve always loved you. Protected you when we were little. Shared everything with you. Why do you hate me so much just because of my body?

I cried myself to sleep like I did most nights, hoping tomorrow she might finally love me back the way sisters were supposed to.

The next day at school was even stranger.

I arrived early, braced for the usual. But my locker was clean. No new insults. No torn papers. My desk in homeroom was untouched. No spilled drinks, no gum stuck under the seat. The whispers were quieter today almost nonexistent. A few people even nodded at me in the hallway. It felt… wrong.

Where was the storm I was waiting for?

I sat through my morning classes in a daze. Lucian was there, of course. But he didn’t look at me. Not once. He sat with his usual group at the back, laughing with his friends like nothing had happened. When our eyes accidentally met during Literature, he quickly looked away. No secret smiles. No brushing hands. The empty seat beside me stayed empty.

I missed him. God, I missed his touch already. The memory of his fingers on my lip, on my breast, made my body ache in places I didn’t want to think about in class. I craved the way he made me feel seen. Desired. But I was also scared. Scared of what Mia would do if she caught us again.

Lunch was the same eerie calm. I sat at my usual corner table alone. No one bothered me. Mia walked past with her friends and didn’t even glance my way. It was too peaceful. The kind of quiet before something terrible happened.

By the end of the day, the anxiety had twisted into a tight knot in my chest. I packed my bag slowly, half expecting someone to knock it out of my hands. Nothing. I walked out of the main gate, the sun warm on my skin, but my thoughts were stormy.

What was Mia planning?

Why was Lucian suddenly avoiding me after telling me how much he wanted me?

And how long would this fake calm last before everything exploded again?

I headed toward the old oak tree behind the building my safe spot just to sit and breathe for a while. As I rounded the corner, I stopped short.

Lucian was already there, leaning against the trunk, hands in his pockets. He looked up when he heard me, his expression unreadable.

“Lily,” he said quietly.

My heart leaped, but fear held me back. I wanted to run to him. I wanted to run away.

Before I could decide, I heard footsteps behind me.