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.

It was Mia.

She stepped out from behind the bushes near the old oak tree, her slim figure moving with that graceful confidence I used to admire. Her eyes flicked between Lucian and me, calculating. For a moment, the three of us stood in heavy silence, the afternoon breeze rustling the leaves above us.

“Well, well,” Mia said sweetly, tilting her head. “What do we have here? My dear sister and her new friend meeting in our old hiding spot. How touching.”

I took a small step back, my heart pounding. Lucian straightened up from the tree, his jaw tightening, but he didn’t move away from me. The air felt thick with tension.

“Mia, it’s not…” I started, my voice shaky.

“Not what?” she cut in, her smile never reaching her eyes. “Not you trying to steal the guy I like right under my nose? Again?” She laughed lightly, but there was poison in it. “You never learn, do you, Lily? Always the quiet, pathetic one chasing after what doesn’t belong to you.”

Lucian’s voice was low and firm. “Mia, leave her alone. This has nothing to do with you.”

Mia’s gaze sharpened on him. “Everything about her has to do with me. She’s my twin. My blood. And she knows exactly how I feel about you, Lucian. Yet here she is, throwing her fat body at you like a desperate little…”

“Enough,” Lucian interrupted, stepping slightly in front of me. His hand brushed mine for just a second a tiny touch that sent warmth through me despite everything. I missed it so much already. “You don’t get to talk to her like that.”

Mia’s expression flickered with real anger before she masked it with another smile. “Protecting her now? Interesting. Be careful, Lucian. My sister has a way of making people regret choosing her.” She looked straight at me. “Remember that, Lily. This little game of yours? It won’t end well.”

She turned and walked away without another word, her ponytail swinging like a warning flag. The calm from earlier was cracking, but not fully broken yet.

I let out a shaky breath, my knees feeling weak. Lucian turned to me, concern clear in his eyes. “Are you okay?”

I nodded, even though I wasn’t. “I should go home. This… this is getting too complicated.”

He didn’t stop me, but his gaze lingered as I walked away. I could feel it on my back, on my curves, like a touch I desperately craved but was terrified to accept.

The days that followed fell into a strange, tense rhythm.

At home, dinners remained oddly peaceful. Mom and Dad had no idea about the storm brewing between us. Mia would chat about her day, ask me polite questions in front of our parents, and then retreat to her side of the room at night without a word. Too calm. It made my stomach twist every evening. I would lie in bed after she fell asleep, staring at the ceiling, wiping silent tears.

What did I do to deserve this? I wondered again and again. I just want you to love me, Mia. We’re supposed to be sisters.

In school, the bullying had gone quiet no new insults on my locker, no one knocking my tray. But Lucian kept his distance. He would nod at me in the hallways or give me small, secret smiles when no one was looking, but he didn’t approach. No more sitting next to me in class. No more pulling me into empty rooms. I missed his touch so badly it ached. At night, I remembered how his hand felt on my breast, how his voice sounded when he confessed he liked me. I craved him. But fear of Mia kept me from seeking him out.

One afternoon during free period, I sat under the oak tree alone, doodling in my notebook. Footsteps approached. I looked up, hoping it was him.

It was one of Mia’s friends, Sarah.

“Hey, Lily,” she said casually, sitting on the grass a few feet away. “Mia wanted me to give you a message. She says she’s willing to let things go if you stay away from Lucian. No more drama.”

I swallowed. “Tell her I’m not looking for drama.”

Sarah shrugged and left. The message was clear: behave, or else.

The calm continued for the rest of the week. No major incidents. Just small things that kept me on edge a “helpful” reminder from Mia at breakfast about how “certain boys prefer slim girls,” or finding my favorite pen mysteriously broken in my bag. Nothing big enough to complain about, but enough to remind me she was watching.

Lucian’s avoidance hurt the most. During lunch one day, I saw him across the cafeteria. Our eyes met. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to come over. Then Mia walked past his table with her friends, laughing loudly, and he stayed seated.

I went home that evening feeling hollow. After another strangely normal family dinner, I excused myself early and cried quietly in the bathroom, hoping Mia wouldn’t hear.

Why does wanting to be loved cost so much?

The weekend passed in the same uneasy peace. I helped Mom with chores, avoided being alone with Mia, and tried not to think about Lucian’s hands or his words. But I thought about them constantly.

Monday morning, I walked into school expecting the same fragile calm.

My locker was clean. My desk was fine. No one bothered me in the hallways.

But when I entered Literature class, Lucian was already there sitting in the back as usual. This time, though, there was a note on my desk. My heart skipped as I opened it.

Meet me after school at the tree. Please. I can’t keep staying away. – L

My fingers trembled holding the paper. I wanted to go so badly. But as I folded it, I felt eyes on me. Mia was watching me, always watching, her expression unreadable.

Chapter 6

I could’ve sworn if her eyes could kill, I would be dead by now.

Mia stared at the note in my hands from across the classroom, her gaze sharp enough to cut glass. I quickly folded it and slipped it into my bag, my cheeks burning. The calm of the past few days felt like it was about to shatter. I spent the rest of the class avoiding her eyes and Lucian’s. When the final bell rang, I grabbed my things and headed straight for the gate without looking back.

I wasn’t going to meet him at the tree. Not today. Not with Mia watching my every move like a hawk.

Instead, I texted my small group of friends the only people who didn’t treat me like a joke. Sarah (not Mia’s friend), quiet bookish Grek, and bubbly Nora. “House beach party tonight?” I typed. They replied almost instantly with excited emojis. For once, I wanted to do something normal. Something fun. Something away from the suffocating tension at school and home.

By 8 PM, I was dressed in a simple black dress that hugged my curves more than I usually allowed. It wasn’t too revealing, but it made me feel… pretty. My friends picked me up, and we headed to the party a monthly thing thrown by some seniors that everyone whispered about.

The music hit me first when we arrived. Loud, pulsing beats mixed with laughter and the sound of waves in the background. The house was packed with students from our school and nearby colleges. Dim lights, red cups everywhere, bodies moving on the makeshift dance floor.

I stuck close to my friends at first, sipping a drink slowly. For the first time in weeks, I felt a little light. We danced in our small circle, laughing at Aisha’s terrible moves. No one bothered me. No insults. Just music and freedom.

Then I saw him.

Lucian stood near the kitchen area with Max, both of them looking unfairly handsome. Lucian in a black shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders, Max laughing beside him. My heart skipped. I quickly looked away, but not before our eyes met across the room. He smiled that small, secret smile that made my stomach flip.

Mia was there too, of course. She arrived with her usual group, wearing a tight, short red dress that showed off her slim waist and long legs. She looked stunning. And she knew it. She made a beeline straight for Lucian, throwing herself at him with a flirty laugh, pressing her body against his arm while talking animatedly.

I watched from the corner as she danced close to him, flipping her hair, touching his chest. She was putting on a full show the slender, confident twin everyone wanted. But Lucian barely reacted. He politely stepped back a few times, his eyes drifting toward my direction instead. Mia’s smile grew tighter with every rejection.

My friends noticed. “Is that your sister throwing herself at him?” Nora whispered. “She looks desperate.”

I just shrugged, finishing my drink a little faster than I should have.

The night blurred pleasantly as the music got louder. Someone suggested games. Truth or Dare. Never Have I Ever. We all gathered in the big living room, sitting in a messy circle on the floor and couches. Lucian ended up across from me. Mia forced her way into the circle too, sitting close to him.

The game started innocently enough. Funny truths, silly dares. But the drinks kept flowing. I was on my third cup something sweet and strong that made my head feel fuzzy and warm. My body felt loose, my usual shyness melting away.

Mia was drinking heavily too, laughing loudly and daring people to do stupid things. She kept trying to pull Lucian into her dares, but he stayed reserved, his gaze often finding mine.

“Never have I ever had a crush on someone in this room,” someone called out.

I drank. So did many others. Lucian drank while looking straight at me. Mia drank too, glaring daggers my way.

The game turned wilder. Dares got bolder. Someone dared Mia to kiss the hottest guy in the circle. She tried to go for Lucian, but he turned his head at the last second, making it land on his cheek. She laughed it off, but I saw the flash of humiliation.

I was getting drunk. The room spun a little. My cheeks felt hot. My body felt sensitive every brush of fabric against my skin reminding me of Lucian’s touch in that empty classroom.

Mia was worse. She was loud, sloppy, clearly drunk. Her friends eventually pulled her up when she started stumbling. “Come on, Mia. Time to go home,” one of them said, half carrying her out. She protested weakly but let them take her. As she passed me, she muttered something I couldn’t quite hear, but the look she gave me was pure venom.

The party continued without her.

I stood up to get some air, the world tilting. Strong arms caught me before I could stumble.

“Easy there,” Lucian’s voice murmured in my ear.

I looked up. He was holding me gently, one arm around my waist, supporting my half drunken weight. His body felt so warm and solid against my softer curves. I leaned into him more than I should have, half drunk, half alive, and completely wanting more than just his arms around me.

His hand rested on my lower back, fingers brushing the curve of my hip. “I’ve got you, Lily,” he whispered.

In that moment, with the music thumping and my head spinning, I didn’t want him to let go. I wanted his hands to roam again. To touch me like he did before. To claim every inch of my body the way he said he craved.

But even drunk, a small voice in the back of my mind whispered: Mia will destroy you but I tend to ignore that right now.

Lucian…I breathe calling his name almost sounding like a moan