Chapter 2 Unconditional Proximity

She woke the next morning to unfamiliar sounds of this new home: a creak of footsteps down the stairs, the hum of a coffee maker downstairs, and a low murmur of voices from the kitchen. It would take her a second to remember where she was, to shake remnants of sleep off and push this uneasy feeling that had settled in her chest.

This house still wasn't home.

She pulled herself out of bed and, with cold feet, stepped upon the hardwood floor while crossing the room. Her simple look at getting dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt seemed like it should get her downstairs without too much awkwardness. But just thinking about seeing [Stepbrother's Name] again made her heart pound in a way she didn't want to admit.

She slipped out of her room, glancing at his closed door. For one brief second, she thought about knocking. Why would I do that? she chided herself, hurrying down the hall. She was being polite, right? It's what siblings-or, well, step-siblings-did.

But before she could reach the stairs, his door swung open. She froze.

Morning," he said casually, leaning against the doorframe once more, as if hed been waiting for her. His hair was still messy, and he wore a faded band t-shirt, looking every inch like hed just rolled out of bed.

"Morning," she managed to get out, her voice far too breathless for her liking. She turned and headed downstairs quickly, her heart racing.

She found her mom in the kitchen, brightening it with a beaming smile as she flipped pancakes. "There she is! Sleep okay, sweetheart?"

"Yeah," she lied, taking a seat at the kitchen island. "The room's nice."

Tom glanced up from his spot at the table, a friendly smile on his face. "Glad to hear it. We want you to feel at home.

Ava nodded, but before she could respond, she heard the creak of footsteps down the stairs. Ethan ambled into the kitchen, as laid-back as ever. He snatched up a plate and slid into the seat beside her, his knee knocking into hers in the narrow space.

She pulled away from the contact, stifling the silly tumble of her stomach. It was an accident. Nothing more.

"So, Ava, plans for today?" Mr Thompson asked his eyes nice and curious. He was trying-they all were. But the awkwardness in the air was thick at least, to her.

She shook her head. "Not really. I was thinking of unpacking some more and, I don't know...get settled."

Her mother smiled warmly. "That sounds like a good idea. And don't forget, we're having a little family dinner tonight. Just the four of us, so we can settle in together. Right, Tom?"

Mr Thompson nodded enthusiastically. "That's right. Thought it'd be a good chance for all of us to bond a bit."

Ethan raised an eyebrow, looking at Ava "Bonding, huh? Sounds like fun.

Something in his tone-a teasing note-twisted her stomach. She hadn't gotten a good enough read on him yet, couldn't tell whether he was joking or something else lay beneath those words.

She forced a smile. "Yeah, sounds... fun."

The rest of breakfast was a blur of small talk-her mom and Mr. Thompson doing most of the chatting, trying to pull Ethan and her into the conversation. She nodded along, but her mind was elsewhere. She kept stealing glances at him, wondering if he felt the same weird tension she did.

She returned to her room after breakfast, grateful for the silence. She unpacked in silence, her mind drifting back to him again and over again. Annoyingly, he was already occupying a good size of space in her brain. Yet, she hardly knew him, yet whenever they were in the same room, it felt like the air got thicker, like her skin was more sensitive to each move he made.

A gentle tap on her door snapped her out of her reverie.

"Come in," she called, her heart sinking a little when the door creaked open to show Ethan

His voice was soft, oozing with sincerity. "Hey. Are you okay?"

I looked up, startled. I hadn't even heard him approach. His tall frame filled my doorway, silhouetted by the hall light. His eyes searched mine, his brows furrowed in concern. For a moment, I couldn't find my voice, my thoughts scrambled by the fact that he cared enough to ask.

"Yeah," I finally muttered, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. "I'm fine.

He stepped inside, shutting the door softly behind him. "You don't sound fine."

There was something in the way he said it-low and even, yet irresistible-that my chest constricted. I had to look away, my hands fidgeting with the edge of the blanket I was wrapped in. This was too much, too close.

It's just. a lot, you know?" I admitted, my voice small. "New house, new family. it's hard to adjust."

He sat on the edge of the bed, leaving space between us, but close enough in that I could feel the warmth emanating from his presence. "Yeah, it's been. strange for me too.

I nodded, not trusting my voice to say more. I could feel the weight of his eyes on me, and for a second, the room felt silent.

He exhaled softly. "Listen, I know this is all pretty weird. Trust me, it's not exactly what I had planned, either. But. if you ever need to talk, I'm here."

I looked up to him again, my heart running more wildly than it should. Something in his offer soothed me; something pressed the pause button on my chaotic thoughts.

"Thanks," I whispered, hoping he wouldn't hear the stammer of his name in my voice.

He smiled-a real, genuine smile-and flipped my stomach. "Anytime."

As he stood up to leave, I watched him go, wondering how this new family dynamic was supposed to work when I couldn't stop thinking about him like this...]. He leaned against the doorframe-again, why did he always do that?-and crossed his arms.

"You all settled in?" he asked, his tone casual, but there was a hint of something else in his eyes-amusement, maybe.

She nodded, busying herself folding a shirt and putting it in a drawer. "Getting there."

"You don't have to be so nervous, you know," he said, further stepping into the room. "It's just me."

That's the problem, she thought but didn't dare say out loud.

"I'm not nervous," she lied, her voice a little too high-pitched to be believable. She hoped he would not notice it.

He smiled wryly, like he could see right through her. "Sure you're not."

She turned to him, crossing her arms in a defensive manner. "Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?" His tone was playful, like he knew precisely what she spoke of but wanted her to say it.

Look at me like you know something I don't." The words popped out before she could catch them, her face burning with embarrassment. She wasn't used to being this straightforward, much less with him.

He finally raised an eyebrow-actually showing some surprise for the sudden boldness. "I don't know what you're talking about.

Whatever, she muttered, turning her back on him. She could feel his gaze on her and it caused a stirring in her flesh that she refused to acknowledge.

There was a long silence before he spoke again, this time much softer. "Look, I get it. This whole step-sibling thing-it's weird. But we've got to live together now, so we might as well try to get along, right?

She faltered, taken aback by the sudden alteration in his tone. Maybe he wasn't teasing her after all. Maybe he was just as insecure about all this as she was.

She nodded once, more slowly, facing him again. "Yeah. I guess you're right.

His smirk was back, though it was softer now, less teasing. "Of course I am." He winked before turning to leave, but just as he reached the door, he paused. "Oh, and about that family dinner? Try not to look so miserable. It's supposed to be fun."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at her lips as he disappeared down the hall.

Much as she didn't want to admit it, there was something about him that made her feel... different. Like her life had just gotten a lot more complicated.