You And I

Chapter 35: Jealousy

I woke up the next morning and felt a weight on top of me. Still groggy, I opened my eyes and saw Liya—sleeping peacefully, her head resting on my chest. I immediately jerked up, nearly pushing her off in my rush.

“What are you doing?!” I asked, startled.

Liya rubbed her eyes, still half asleep, and mumbled, “What? Levi doesn’t want me on top of him anymore? You used to do that all the time back then because you were scared the monsters might get you.”

I frowned, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Stop with this ‘back then’ stuff. I don’t want to hear it. And I swear, if you do anything weird again, I’m gonna force you to sleep in Amelia’s room.”

She teased me, sitting up and flashing a mischievous smile. “Don’t be so mean. I’m your sister too, remember?”

“Yeah, right,” I muttered, getting up and leaving her on the bed. I headed downstairs to have breakfast, trying to shake off the awkwardness.

When I reached the kitchen, my mom was already there, setting up breakfast. She smiled when she saw me and said, “Good morning! After you two have breakfast, I need you and Liya to buy some stuff for the bakery, okay?”

“Got it,” I replied, grabbing a plate and sitting down. A few minutes later, Liya came down, looking perfectly refreshed as if nothing unusual had happened. We ate breakfast in relative silence, and I tried my best to ignore her playful looks.

Later that morning, we headed out to buy supplies for the bakery. Walking side by side with her felt strange after all these years. It was like there was this odd tension between us that wasn’t there before. Or maybe I was just overthinking it. Either way, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things weren’t as simple as they used to be.

As we moved from shop to shop, I noticed Liya getting a lot of attention. People kept glancing at her, probably because of how confident she seemed. At one point, she caught me staring and teased, “Admiring me, are you?”

I quickly looked away, feeling my face heat up. “No! I was just… never mind.”

She chuckled and didn’t say anything else, but I could tell she was enjoying making me uncomfortable.

We finished our shopping quickly, filling our bags with flour, sugar, and a few other essentials. On the way back, I couldn't help but glance at her. Despite the teasing, there was a comfort in her presence.

Once we arrived at the bakery, my mom greeted us with a warm smile. “Perfect timing! I need help with the afternoon rush.”

Liya immediately rolled up her sleeves. “I used to love baking with you. What can I do?”

My mom handed her a mixing bowl and some ingredients. “How about you start on the cupcake batter?”

I watched as Liya poured flour into the bowl and mixed it energetically. “You’ve definitely gotten better at this,” I said, trying to sound casual.

She laughed. “I’ve had practice! And remember, I’m still your sister.”

We spent the next few hours working side by side, chatting and laughing as we baked. Liya's excitement was contagious, and I found myself relaxing despite the earlier awkwardness.

After a while, my mom called us over. “Hey, can you both help me decorate these cakes?”

We exchanged glances and nodded, eager to work on something creative. As we decorated, Liya leaned in closer, sneaking frosting into my hair. “Now you look like a real baker!”

I swatted her hand away, grinning. “You better watch it, or I’ll give you a new hairstyle with this!”

The laughter continued until we finished the cakes and set them on display. My mom beamed at our work. “You two make a great team!”

As we cleaned up, I felt a sense of contentment. Maybe having Liya around wouldn’t be so bad after all.

That evening, after a long day, I was lying in bed, finally ready to sleep. Liya was on the other side of the room, her back turned to me. It seemed like we were going to have a peaceful night, but then she noticed something on my desk.

“Hey, Levi,” she called out, “who’s this girl?” She held up the picture frame that Ryan gave me, the picture of Mei during the camping trip. “Is she the girl you like?”

I felt a wave of awkwardness wash over me. “It’s none of your business,” I replied, trying to ignore her and roll over.

“I hate her,” Liya declared, her voice filled with jealousy.

I turned to defend Mei. “How can you hate her? She’s a good woman, and she’s pretty, okay?”

Liya’s eyes narrowed, clearly annoyed. “So you do like her, huh?”

“If I said yes, would you stop now?” I asked, hoping to end the conversation.

She crossed her arms. “Yeah.”

I sighed, giving in just to end the teasing. “Fine, yes. I love her.”

Liya’s expression darkened, and she huffed. “That just makes me hate her even more.”

I groaned, exhausted from the day and the conversation. “Whatever, Liya. I’m going to sleep. You should stop yapping and go to sleep too. Your first day at school starts tomorrow.”

Liya stayed silent after that, though I could still feel her pouting. I closed my eyes and drifted off, wondering how chaotic tomorrow would be with her around.