𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

𝟐𝟐 | 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲

Micheal

"What's got you in a good mood?"

I tore my gaze away from the spread of my fingers and met my older brother's eyes. There was a hint of concern in his expression, and I almost smiled at the way he was watching me, as if he were trying to figure out what was going on inside my head.

I shrugged casually, not bothering to meet his gaze as I spoke. "I can't be in a good mood?" I asked, my voice carrying a hint of indifference. I wasn't paying much attention to him, more absorbed in my own thoughts, but I could still feel the weight of his concern hovering in the air. It was almost as if he expected something deeper from me, and I wasn't in the mood to explain myself.

Matthew paused, his gaze fixed on me, as if weighing his words carefully. "It's not that you can't," he said slowly, his voice tinged with suspense. "It's just... it's incredibly rare Micheal."

Despite my casual indifference to what he was saying, my brother was right. It was rare to see me in a genuinely good mood. I usually kept things to myself, hiding behind a mask of indifference. But lately, things had been different. The moment the thought of Antoinette Santil crossed my mind, a wave of warmth swept over me, and I couldn't help but feel... good. For the past three days, she had been the one thing consistently occupying my thoughts, floating through my mind like a welcome distraction. And honestly, I didn't mind it one bit.

I couldn't shake the memory of her—the taste of her lingering on my lips. Now that I'd experienced it, it was like a craving I couldn't satisfy. Every time I thought about it, that feeling of wanting more intensified. It wasn't just the physical connection; it was something deeper, something I hadn't expected to crave, but now I couldn't stop. Now that I'd had the chance to feel her, it was the sensation itself that I couldn't shake. It wasn't just about the physicality; it was that deep, electrifying connection I couldn't seem to forget. The craving was relentless, and I found myself obsessing over every moment. Goodness, I was acting like some lovesick adolescent, as if I'd just discovered the touch of a woman for the first time.

The way innocence flickered in her eyes, mingled with the unspoken desire, stirred something in me that I couldn't quite put into words. The idea of Annie wanting me to be the first person to touch her in that way sparked a fire inside me-something fierce and raw, almost unbearable. It was a rush, igniting every part of me, stirring emotions I wasn't sure how to handle. The trust she was offering, the vulnerability in her desire, made my pulse quicken and my body ached with a need that I couldn't ignore.

After she finally drifted off to sleep last night, I found myself caught in a battle with my own impulses. I had to force myself to leave her room, each step toward the door feeling like a struggle. The urge to stay and watch her, to simply sit there and listen to the rhythm of her breathing, was overwhelming. And even more so, the need to hold her, to stay close, lingered in the back of my mind. It took everything I had to resist,

"I feel like you came back from prison a completely different person, man," Matthew admitted, his eyes still fixed on me as he leaned against the doorframe. He studied me closely, as if trying to figure out who I had become. I could feel his gaze on me, but I didn't let it distract me. I was focused on weighing and packaging products,

Oddly enough, I couldn't deny that I felt the same way about myself. Coming back from prison, it was like I was seeing the world—and myself—through a different lens. I was more in touch with my emotions now, no longer pushing them to the back of my mind or pretending they didn't exist. It was strange, almost unsettling at times, but there was something refreshing about actually feeling for once. Before prison, it was as if I were numb to everything, disconnected from the world around me. Nothing really reached me, not unless it was through the haze of whatever substances I was using to escape.