A TASTE OF CANDY POISON

CHAP 22🌸

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It had been a little over an hour since dinner, and the house had settled into a comfortable quiet. I found myself in the shower, enjoying the hot water as it cascaded over my skin, washing away the long day.

My mind wandered as I scrubbed my hair, replaying the events of the night—the conversation Justin and I had under the stars, the warm family dinner that followed, the way his eyes lingered on me more than once.

I sighed, trying not to dwell on it too much. Justin was… complicated. I wasn’t sure what to make of everything he had said earlier. He had this way of saying things that made you think, made you feel something deeper than the playful exterior he usually wore. But I couldn’t let myself get caught up in it. He had a girlfriend, after all.

The shower steam filled the room, and I stayed under the spray for a few more minutes, letting it soothe my muscles before finally stepping out. I dried off quickly and slipped into my favorite pajamas—a cute panda set that I had packed for the trip.

The soft fabric clung to my skin as I tied the drawstrings of the pants, the little pandas dotted all over making me feel just a bit more at ease.

With a deep breath, I headed back to the shared room where I would be sleeping with the twins and, unfortunately, Justin.

I had been hoping to avoid too much awkwardness after our conversation earlier, but there was no escaping it. This was where I was staying for the weekend, and I just had to deal with it.

As I pushed open the door to the room, I was surprised by how quiet it was. For a moment, I thought the kids might have fallen asleep, but when I stepped inside, I saw them huddled together on the bed, watching cartoons on their laptop. The screen illuminated their small faces as they giggled softly at whatever antics were playing out in front of them.

The twins, Kayce and Micky, were wearing matching dinosaur pajamas, bright green with little tails poking out from behind them. It was honestly kind of adorable. They were so absorbed in their show that they didn’t even notice me coming in.

To the left, I spotted Justin wearing the same pajamas,sitting on one of the other beds, his long legs stretched out as he leaned against the headboard. His phone was in his hands, and he had a nonchalant expression on his face, his attention completely focused on whatever he was doing. I stood there for a moment, watching him, trying to figure out what to say or do. It felt weird after everything that had happened tonight.

Gathering my courage, I walked over to him, my panda pajamas feeling somehow more childish with each step.

As I got closer, Justin looked up, and for just a split second, I saw his eyes widen, a faint blush creeping up his neck. He quickly put his phone away, shoving it into his pocket as if he’d been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to.

“Uh, hey,” I said awkwardly, noticing the way his cheeks were still slightly pink. “What are you doing?”

Justin cleared his throat, shifting a little on the bed. “Just… texting. My girlfriend.” He shrugged, trying to sound casual, but there was something in his tone, something almost defensive.

I raised an eyebrow, not sure why he seemed flustered. “Oh. Right.”

He nodded, but then, without warning, his arm shot out, grabbing me by the wrist and pulling me down onto the bed beside him. “Come here,” he said with a grin, his earlier awkwardness replaced with his usual playful demeanor. Before I could protest, he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close in one of his signature Justin-style cuddles.

I sighed, trying to suppress the warmth that spread through me as his body pressed against mine. It was always like this with him—confusing, disarming. One minute, he was talking about his girlfriend, and the next, he was holding me like I was the only person in the world who mattered.

I tried to keep my tone light, brushing off the awkwardness. “You know, your girlfriend probably wouldn’t appreciate this.”

Justin just chuckled, nuzzling his face into my neck. “She doesn’t have to know.”

I rolled my eyes, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks despite myself. He always knew how to make me feel flustered, even when I was trying to stay calm. I didn’t want to read too much into it, but the way he held me, the way he always seemed to want to be close, it made me wonder what was really going on in his head.

As he settled in next to me, his body warm against mine, I could feel the tension from earlier slowly fading away. Maybe this was just how things were with Justin—confusing and complicated, but somehow comforting in its own strange way.

We lay there for a while, neither of us saying much, just listening to the sound of the kids giggling at their cartoon. Every now and then, Justin would shift, adjusting his hold on me, his breath warm against my neck. It was the kind of moment that felt like it should be ordinary, but there was something about it that made my heart race just a little faster.

Eventually, I couldn’t take the silence anymore.

“You really like cuddling, huh?” I asked, my voice soft.

Justin chuckled again, his arms tightening around me. “Only with you.”

Only with me?

I frowned, unsure if he was joking or if there was something more behind his words. “But you have a girlfriend,” I pointed out again, more for my own sake than his.

He shrugged, his face still buried in my neck. “Yeah, but… you’re different.”

Different. That word hung in the air between us, heavy with meaning that I couldn’t quite grasp. I wanted to ask what he meant, to push for an explanation, but I didn’t. Instead, I just let the moment pass, trying to ignore the way my heart fluttered in my chest.

After a while, Justin loosened his hold on me slightly, pulling back just enough to look at me. His eyes were soft, and for a moment, I saw something in them that made me pause—something that felt almost like vulnerability.

“I mean it,” he said quietly, his voice barely more than a whisper. “You’re important to me.”

I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden seriousness in his tone. “Justin…”

Before I could say anything more, the twins let out a loud cheer from across the room, their cartoon apparently reaching some exciting moment. The sound broke the tension between us, and Justin smiled, his usual playful expression returning as he ruffled my hair and pulled me closer again.

“Come on,” he said, his voice light again. “Let’s just enjoy the night.”

I sighed, giving up on trying to make sense of whatever was going on in Justin’s head. For now, I could deal with the confusing emotions later. Right now, all I wanted was to enjoy this strange, peaceful moment in the warmth of his embrace.

🥀🥀🥀