King of My Heart

6. "Can you stop flirting with me?"

(2183 words)

I had just returned from college and was sorting stuff in my room after I had changed. "Ma'am, would you like to have lunch now?" I heard Mrs. Kipler's voice on the intercom in our room. I walked up to it before pressing the button and speaking into it, "I'll heat the food up for myself in a little bit. Thanks, Mrs. Kipler."

Not feeling much appetite, I decided to wind up in our lounge with one of my textbooks to highlight important things. As I slowly flipped the pages, my eyes skimming over the boring text of the anatomy book, I was informed that we had a visitor.

"Hey!" I rose up from the couch, delighted at the sight of the visitor.

"Ana, how are you?" She hugged me, holding onto me for a few seconds.

"I'm great! Please have a seat. I'm so glad you came. It's been a while." I said to her. Sophia was one of Ethan's cousins but she was nothing like Adeline. She was an amazingly sweet and kind person and I admired her immensely. We had become good friends in a short time.

"I couldn't make it to Ethan's birthday yesterday and that makes me feel so awful." She spoke.

"Oh yeah, we all missed your presence. This internship is giving you a hard time, isn't it?" I asked her. She was 20 and had recently begun working at a local firm.

"Ugh yes," she rolled her eyes and made an exasperated expression. "I'm so fed up of fetching coffee for the boss and all those seniors. Feels like I studied to be their maid."

I chuckled. "That's awful. Why don't you intern at Ethan's company? He's your cousin. He won't give you a hard time."

"I was thinking about that but I felt like it would be too much of a favour to ask."

"Oh come on! You're qualified, so it won't be a favour, it'll just be something you deserve. And I'll make sure no one asks you to get coffee." I grinned at the end, giggling a little.

Sophia laughed. "Speaking of favours, Ana I actually do need a huge favour."

"Of course! Anything." I replied.

"My place actually needs some serious renovating. It's been in an awful condition for a while and now it's totally not liveable. I don't really have any other place to stay. I felt embarrassed to ask a friend—"

"Sophia! You can totally stay here for as long as you want. You're family, you don't have to ask. This house is as much yours as it is ours." I cut her off and gave her a closed-mouth smile at the end.

"Oh Ana, you're the sweetest." She gushed, pulling me in for a hug.

———

I greeted Ethan with a smile as he stepped out of the elevator and into the living room. "Hey, babe."

"Hello, my gorgeous wife." He said to me with an equally big smile, catching my lips in a passionate kiss.

"Hey Ana, I— whoops!"

Ethan and I jumped away from each other and I turned red, looking at the ground. "I am so sorry guys." Sophia gushed and I turned to look at her.

"It's okay."

"Hey there. What are you doing here, Sophia?" Ethan asked her.

"Is there any problem with me being here?" Sophia asked nervously, biting her lip.

"Nope! Not at all. Ethan, Sophia's gonna stay with us for some time." I gave him a brief explanation.

"Is that okay with you, Ethan?" Sophia asked, twisting her fingers.