Chapter 68: Her Expectations, My Problem
The rest of the week passed like most others—classes, lunch, Celestia dragging me into whatever chaos she felt like stirring that day. Nothing out of place, nothing I couldn’t handle (probably). Avery didn’t try any stunt either, probably because her ego had been bruised enough already. By the time Saturday rolled around, it was almost expected.
Celestia was here. Again.
Four weekends in a row now, not even counting the three straight weeks of semester break when she practically moved in. At this point, it would’ve felt abnormal if she didn’t show up with an overnight bag trotting in like she owned the place.
Not that I minded.
Saturday mornings weren’t supposed to be this loud.
I groaned into the pillow, eyes half-glued shut, when the buzzing on my nightstand refused to stop. Whoever it was, they had zero respect for sleep.
Next to me, Celestia shifted under the blanket. She cracked one eye open, squinting at me like I’d personally invented the noise.
"Your phone," she mumbled, voice still husky with sleep.
I reached out blindly, grabbed it, and blinked when I saw the name glowing across the screen.
Avery.
I stared at it for a second longer than I should’ve. Then, slowly, I glanced at Celestia.
She was awake now—awake and watching, one brow arched. She didn’t say a word, just gave this little shrug, like well, aren’t you gonna pick up?
So I did.
I thumbed the speaker button. "...Hello?"
"Good morning, Kai," Avery’s voice chimed, all soft and syrupy, like she’d practiced it. "I hope I didn’t wake you. Did you sleep well?"
I scrubbed a hand over my face. "...Morning. Uh, yeah, I guess."
Celestia rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck.
Avery went on before I could add anything. "I was just thinking, it’s Saturday and, well... it’s a little boring being home all alone." She gave this delicate laugh, the kind people give when they want you to ask what they’re doing later.
"Right," I said, drawing the word out, searching for an exit. "Well, sorry to hear that, but I should—"
] "Maybe if you’re free today? We could... I don’t know, hang out? Just something simple."
I rubbed a hand over my face, still half-asleep, and sighed. "Avery... you do remember I have a girlfriend, right?"
There was a beat of silence on the other end, just long enough to tell me she hadn’t expected me to say it out loud.
"I know," she said quickly, her voice softening, almost too sweet. "I’m not trying to—cross anything. Just... friends."
Celestia made a face beside me, silent but loud enough in expression that I nearly choked on a laugh.
"Uh... I don’t think—" I started.
Avery didn’t let me finish. "Or even if not today, maybe soon? It’d be nice. I promise I’m not asking for much."
That was when Celestia moved. She shifted closer, all warmth and mischief, and dropped her chin against my shoulder. Her lips brushed near my ear, and when she spoke it was in that cracked, sultry voice—the kind of voice that made the word babe sound like sin.
"Babe, come back to bed..." she purred, loud enough for Avery to hear, though she didn’t even need to since she was already lying right there.
I froze.
"Uh—" My voice broke halfway through. "I—I’ve got to go," I said quickly into the phone, already fumbling for the end call button. "Bye."
The line clicked dead.
Silence for a beat.
Then Celestia exploded into laughter, muffling it against my arm, her whole body shaking with the force of it.
"You’re—" she tried, but laughter cut her off again. "You’re so easy, oh my God—her face! I bet she’s dying right now."
I groaned, throwing the phone back on the nightstand. "You’re insane," I muttered, but the smile broke through anyway.
"No," she shot back between giggles, "I’m a genius."
And somehow, I couldn’t even argue with that.
---
We’d barely been back under the sheets for five minutes when I felt the bed shift. Celestia crawled over, swung a leg across me, and settled herself on my lap, straddling me. Her hair brushed against my face as she leaned in close, so close I thought she was about to kiss me, and for a second my heart jumped.
But then—
"What’s even her deal?" she muttered, almost like she was picking up mid-conversation.
I blinked. "Huh?"
"Avery," she clarified, like the name itself was sour on her tongue. "What does she even want from you?"
...Oh.
Not what I thought she was about to say. I’d been sure she climbed on me because she wanted to... well, do something else. My brain had already gone there, and I’d braced myself, I wanted it too, no point pretending otherwise. I was already halfway lost in the idea when she opened her mouth... and started talking.
Just talking.
I groaned inside. Figures. With Celestia, it was never what you thought it’d be.
I played along, because if I didn’t, it’d look like I had no self-control. "I told you. She’s just... trying. Too hard."
Celestia narrowed her eyes, like she didn’t buy it. "Mm. Trying too hard... at my husband?"
"Your words, not mine," I said, smirking.
"Exactly my words." She tilted her head, studying me like she could peel apart my thoughts with just her stare.
I was about to roll my eyes at her dramatics when I felt it—her shifting in my lap, a pause, and then the faintest lift of her brows. Her lips curved into that slow, knowing smirk.
> "...Oh?"
I groaned, covering my face with one hand. "Don’t."
"Don’t what?" she teased, rocking just enough for me to feel it again. "It’s not like it’s my fault, is it?"
"You started talking about Avery—"
"And you started thinking about other things, apparently." She leaned in closer, her breath warm against my cheek. "Should I be flattered?"
"You’re impossible."
"Mm. Or irresistible." She pecked me once on the lips, soft but smug, before sliding off me with a quick bounce of the mattress. "Anyway, breakfast. Can’t have my husband starving, can I?"
I sat up halfway, watching her already heading toward the kitchen like she hadn’t just left me hanging. She tossed a grin over her shoulder, one that dared me to follow.
Crazy. She was absolutely crazy. And somehow, I was the one who kept letting her win.
---
She hummed as she moved around the kitchen, barefoot on the tiles, sleeves of my T-shirt swallowing her arms. Only, this time it wasn’t the oversized hoodie. No—this was a regular shirt. Which meant the hem stopped far too early, the curve of her legs showing with every step. And underneath? The shortest bum shorts known to mankind. Cruel. Absolutely cruel.
I wasn’t even trying to stare—my eyes just... followed. Every time she stretched for something on the higher shelves, the shirt rode up and I caught a flash of soft skin, enough to make me swallow hard and look away before I lost whatever was left of my self-control.
She turned suddenly, hair falling over her shoulder as she set a pan down. "So..." Her voice was light, almost too casual. "What are we doing for Valentine’s?"
I blinked. "Valentine’s?"
She turned then, spoon in hand, one eyebrow raised like I’d just confessed a crime. "Don’t tell me you forgot."
"I didn’t forget," I said quickly. "I just... didn’t think that far."
Her lips twitched, that familiar smirk tugging. "So you forgot."
"Celestia..." I rubbed a hand over my face. "It’s my first Valentine’s, okay? Cut me some slack."
She leaned on the counter, spoon tapping against the edge of the pan, watching me like she was daring me to answer wrong. "You do know it’s next week, right?"
I scratched the back of my neck. "I mean... yeah, I know. I just—uh—it’s my first one, so..."
Her lips curved, the faintest smirk tugging at them. "So you have no idea what to do."
"That’s—hey, not entirely true," I said quickly, trying to recover some dignity. "I was... gonna figure it out."
She laughed under her breath, shaking her head. "You’re hopeless." Then she crossed the kitchen to stand in front of me, close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating off her. "But you’d better figure it out, Kai. Because I’m expecting something fun."
"Fun," I repeated. My brain was still short-circuited from the way her shirt barely covered her shorts.
"Mhm." Her eyes glittered as she poked my chest with the spoon. "Dinner, flowers, chocolate... something that makes me feel spoiled. You know, girlfriend things."
"Girlfriend things," I echoed, half smiling, half terrified.
She grinned, satisfied, before turning back to the stove. "Good. Then I’ll let you off the hook for now."
I exhaled slowly, watching her sway back to the pan, shirt riding up again. First Valentine’s, no clue what I was doing, and the most demanding girlfriend on the planet.
Perfect.
---
To be continued...