Page 10 of Tease

It was my turn to sigh. There was no telling Alissa what she could and couldn’t do. My sister didn’t want to listen to reason, so maybe Zayn was right. Maybe both of them were lost causes.

My attention went to the kitchen door as Rina walked through it. I dropped my hand from my hair when she met my eyes. She blinked behind her glasses. Her storm cloud grey eyes were my favourite feature of hers, although I was pretty much obsessed with everything about her. Her cheeks grew red as we stared at each other. She was so adorable when she blushed.

Rina bit her lip, then scurried past me like she was in a hurry to get away. I didn’t want her to leave, even though I had no idea what to say.

“So, I think I need—” I heard Zayn say in my ear.

“Rina, wait!”

She drew to a halt by the stairs and turned, her wide eyes darting towards me. Her hands twisted in her jumper, but she remained silent.

“Rina, eh?” Zayn said in a particularly teasing tone. “I see why you’re distracted now. Have you finally grown a pair and told her how you feel? It’s about time the two of you stopped pussyfooting around each other.”

“Shut up, Zayn,” I muttered, stalking towards his cousin. I hung up and stuffed my phone into my pocket.

Rina stared up at me as I stopped in front of her. As much as I hated making her nervous, I couldn’t help wanting to be closer to her. I wanted her presence so fucking much it hurt, especially if she hugged me again like earlier. Those pretty little lips of hers were making me crazy with wanting to know what they tasted like. I was mad for this girl. And I’d spent too long denying the existence of my feelings. I couldn’t do it any longer.

“Are you disappearing for the night?” I asked, trying to think of an excuse to spend time with her.

She nodded and looked away. I should let her go. I should, but I couldn’t.

“I was kind of hoping you’d be okay with some company.”

Rina rubbed her fingers along her stomach and stared at the floor.

Martina, Sofia and Verona were staying in tonight, which meant I didn’t have to take them anywhere like I had done the past few nights. Verona had decided to test the limits of my protection. When she realised I wasn’t going to back down on the matter of someone being with her at all times yesterday, she got fed up and told me I’d won. It wasn’t some kind of competition or fight. It was for her own good, not because I was being annoying.

“I-I-I was g-g-going to r-r-read.”

“That’s okay, you can. I’d just like to sit with you.”

I sounded incredibly desperate. I knew it, but I didn’t really give two shits because she smiled at me.

“O-o-okay.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket as Rina turned to go up the stairs. I followed behind her, pulling it out and checking the message.

Zayn: In all seriousness, you have my blessing to date my cousin, so fucking do it already.

Arlo: I don’t know if she likes me.

Zayn: Then you’re either blind or stupid. Even Ari told me Rina likes you, so quit being an idiot. Do I have to order you to kiss my cousin? Because I will.

Arlo: I hate you.

He sent me back a bunch of laughing emojis. It only made me scowl and stuff my phone back in my pocket. Zayn was getting on my last nerve over Rina. Yet his mention of Ari’s opinion on the situation gave me pause. Did Rina like me? Was that why she wanted to hug me earlier? She got flustered when I was close to her. I didn’t want to read into it, but now I couldn’t help it. I needed to know if she wanted me the way I wanted her.

We reached Rina’s bedroom. She pushed the door closed after I entered. Then she looked up at me.

“W-w-would y-y-you t-turn around, p-please? I-I-I n-n-need to change.”

I nodded and turned, facing the door to give her some privacy. A few minutes later, she placed a hand on my arm. I was slow to spin around and face her, not wanting to startle Rina. She was dressed in an oversized t-shirt with a stack of books on it and shorts. She’d pulled on a dark blue zip-up hoodie over it.

“Done?”

She gave me a nod and then left my side to sit in her reading nook in the bay window. Adjusting her glasses, she curled up with her head resting on a pillow and a tablet between her fingers. I walked over, picked up the blanket sitting near her, and settled it over her. Rina gave me a small smile before turning her attention back to her book.

I wandered over to her bookshelves. The past few nights I’d stayed in her room, I hadn’t snooped. Invading her privacy felt wrong. She had a lot of books, some facing outwards and others in stacks. I picked up one with a rather dark looking cover and read the back of it. My eyes darted to Rina, but she wasn’t paying attention to me. I placed the book back and picked up another one. It made me smile, knowing this was her passion. I rarely ever saw Rina without a book or her tablet.

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