Irresistible

SEVEN

It's back to the usual routine. After I left the club that night, I fell right into bed. Just too tired to even think about the situation.

If I thought the thoughts of Sage were bad before, they were way worse now, swirling around my head like a relentless storm.

I really shouldn't let her control my thoughts like this.

I'm currently walking back home from classes today when my phone buzzes with a call.

I adjust my grip on my bag and fish out my phone, a smile tugging at my lips when I see it's Jace calling. It's been too long since we've caught up properly. Duty call though, especially when you're in the military, so I don't hold it against him. I pop an AirPod in and answer his call as I walk,

"Little sis!" Jace greets, his voice laced with genuine happiness, once l answer.

"Hi! How are you doing?" I can't help but smile at hearing my brother's voice. The distance between us feels even greater in moments like these.

"I'm good, just missing home a little bit lately," Jace sighs.

"I get it," I say, missing him being home too.

"What's wrong?" My brother suddenly asks, his intuition as sharp as ever.

"What?" I'm caught off guard by his question, momentarily distracted by the swirl of emotions inside

"I know when something's wrong, Lils. I can hear it in your voice. Is it something to do with school?" He asks.

Am I that readable? "No, it's not school," I reply.

"Is it a girl?" Jace asks suddenly, his teasing tone breaking through the seriousness of the moment, and I can't help but laugh.

"Maybe," I admit, unlocking the door and stepping into my apartment, the warmth of home enveloping me like a familiar embrace.

I sigh, my breath hitching as he inquires about her. A small, almost involuntary smile tugs at the corners of my lips, betraying the mixed emotions swirling within me.

"Fine," I relent, "Her name is Sage. She's like... annoyingly beautiful, you know. It actually makes me mad." I chuckle softly, though the humor is tinged with bitterness. "But we're not supposed to be together, so it's kind of driving me crazy."

"Awww Lils, you like her!" Jace teases, his tone playful yet knowing.

"Yeah, whatever," I dismiss, attempting to downplay the intensity of my feelings as I drop my bag and belongings onto the worn kitchen counter, the surface cool beneath my fingertips.

"So what happened between you two?" Jace asks curiously.

"It's gonna sound bad," I caution, a knot forming in the pit of my stomach as I brace myself for his reaction.

I haven't told anyone about Sage but it's Jace, and I can't hold a secret from him no matter how hard I try.

"Just tell me, l'm sure it's not that bad," he urges, his voice laced with encouragement.

"She's my best friend's sister," I confess, the words tasting bitter on my tongue as I prepare myself for his judgment.

Jace's reaction is almost comical, which I wasn't expecting. "Oh my god Lilia, what the fuck?" He laughs, "How did this happen?"

I feel embarrassed as memories of when I first met Sage come rushing back. I decide not to tell my brother all the personal details about my sex life, so I choose my words carefully.

"We met at a party I threw, and then crossed paths again at a club about two weeks ago. And my friend may or may not have caught her flirting with me and asked how I knew her sister," I reveal, the weight of my confession hanging heavy in the air between us.