Page 16 of My Accidental Valentine

Sean nods, grinning. “I figured you’d be miserable without a drink.” He chuckles, but when I catch Chara’s gaze, I know exactly what’s going on. She must’ve seen me sulking all night and decided to work her magic. She knows better than anyone that gummy worms are the ultimate cure for my sour mood.

“You’re the best,” I tell Sean, pulling him into another quick hug before turning to hug my sister. “You too, Chara.”

She laughs and hugs me back.

Once Sean kicks off his boots and takes off his coat, the four of us head back to the living room. Peter, Adam, Tina, and Amira come over to greet him, and for a while, we all just stand around, talking and laughing over the music.

After a few minutes, while everyone’s caught up in conversation, I slip out of the living room and into the kitchen. I put the kettle on and start rummaging through the cupboards for black tea. Tea and gummy worms feel like the perfect remedy for my lovesick heart—at least for tonight.

The soft hum of the kettle fills the room as I dig through boxes and tins. Then I hear the kitchen door open and quietly click shut.

Nobody says anything.

I turn around and freeze. Adam is standing there, just looking at me. My head spins, and the room tilts for a moment.

“Hi,” I say, not really knowing what else to say.

“Hey,” he replies, looking just as thrown off as I am.

“Want some tea?” I ask, mostly to fill the silence.

“Yeah, thanks,” Adam says, his eyes still locked on mine.

I force myself to turn away and grab two cups from the cupboard, pretending I can’t feel his presence like a heat at the back of my neck. As I keep searching for the tea bags, I feel him still standing there, watching me.

When I finally find the tea, I turn around—and almost jump out of my skin. Adam is right behind me, towering over me.

“Fuck,” I breathe, my heart pounding wildly. “You scared me.”

“Sorry,” Adam murmurs, the words barely more than a whisper.

He’s so close—just inches away—and I catch the faint scent of wine on his breath mixed with that clean, familiar smell of laundry detergent and aftershave. My mind is still scrambling to process what’s happening when Adam suddenly reaches out and takes my hand in his.

He gently pulls me, guiding my arm around his neck and wrapping his own arm around my waist. His free hand finds mine, and before I can even process what’s happening, he leans in and pulls me close, like we’re dancing. His chin rests lightly against my temple as he starts swaying us side to side, moving to the faint music drifting in from the living room.

The moment feels so fragile, so impossibly tender, that my chest tightens with shock and something dangerously close to happiness. We step in place, then shift together again, our bodies pressed close. I can feel the solid muscle of his chest beneath his shirt, and for the first time in so long, I feel drunk—on this, on him—and I don’t care why it’s happening, only that it is.

I don’t know how long we sway like that—long enough for everything else to fade into the background. The warmth of Adam’s hand on my back, the steady rhythm of his breathing—it all feels surreal, like I’ve slipped into a dream.

The soft creak of the kitchen door pulls me back to reality. Adam and I break apart instantly, like we’ve been caught doing something we shouldn’t.

Peter stands in the doorway, his grin wide as though he’s just walked in on something scandalous.

“Oh,” he says, pausing for a beat, his eyebrows rising. “Don’t mind me, you guys.” Then, with an exaggerated step backward, he shuts the door behind him.

The room falls silent after the door clicks shut. I shift awkwardly, suddenly hyper-aware of how small the space feels. When I glance at Adam, I realize he’s already watching me. Our eyes meet, and I freeze—he’s calm, unflinching. My breath hitches.

“Sorry,” I mutter, shame rushing through me—like Peter walking in was somehow my fault.

“Stop saying sorry,” Adam says, his voice rough. “You didn’t do anything.”

And I know he doesn’t just mean now—he means four years ago, too.

I blink, the weight lifting so fast it almost knocks me off balance. My chest tightens with relief as tears sting the corners of my eyes.

“I didn’t?” I whisper.

Adam shakes his head.

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