My Cousin's Body

Sera’s POV “Absolutely not.” I crossed my arms, glaring at mum as she folded my pink sweater into the bag. “I’m not spending an entire weekend in some dusty cabin with Aunt Linda and her arrogant sons. Especially Caleb.” Mum didn’t even look at me. “Sera, honey, it’s a mini family reunion. Your aunt hasn’t seen you in like two years now, and the boys miss you. It’ll be good for you to go down there, you know, relax a bit.” “Good for me?” I laughed bitterly. “Caleb used to put dead rats on my sleeping mat, remember? And the last time I saw him he told me I looked like a ‘stuck-up librarian who needs to get laid.’ He’s an asshole, mum” She finally straightened, giving me that patient, guilt tripping smile she’d used on me for nineteen years. “He’s grown up, alright? You both have. And it’s only for three days. I already told your aunt we’re coming. Besides…” She brushed my hair back affectionately. “...you work too hard. You need some fresh air, no screens and good food. You’ll love it. I promise.” I opened my mouth to argue, but she was already zipping my bag. Mum was quite stubborn and any protest from me now would be pointless. When she decided something was “good for me,” we were having it her way. So I sighed, grabbed my bag, and spent the entire drive imagining all the ways I’d avoid my cousin. The cabin was exactly as I remembered, surrounded by thick pines, cool breeze and the sound of many birds. Just three days. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all. Gravel crunched under our tires as we pulled up. Aunt Linda rushed out to greet us with her warm hugs and kind smiles, but my eyes were already looking for him. Trouble. There he was. Caleb stood near the edge of the stream, tall and broad shouldered now, his dark messy hair falling all over his face. He was bent over something on the ground, poking at it with a stick. A toad. The poor thing was trying to escape, but he kept blocking it, I could see the cruel little smirk on his face. My blood boiled. I dropped my bag and marched over before mum could stop me. “Hey! Leave it alone, you sadistic prick.” Caleb glanced up, his green eyes narrowing at me with recognition. There were no adults around, just the two of us, hidden by the thick bush. He straightened slowly, towering over me. The years had been annoyingly kind to him. His jaw was strong, his arms defined under a worn black singlet. But that same arrogant tilt was still there on his lips. You would think the years would also give him common sense. But no. It missed him clearly. “Well, if it isn’t little Sera,” he drawled in a deeper voice than I remembered. “Still running her wide little mouth at every chance she gets. Some things never change huh? Self righteous bitch.” “Some things don't, yes,” I shot back, stepping closer. “Like you still being a pathetic bully who gets off on torturing things smaller than you. Let the toad go, Caleb, or I swear I’ll shove that stick up your ass.” The stupid tilt widened. He threw the stick away but not before giving the toad one last poke. It hopped into the shrubs. “Careful, cousin. Talking about shoving things up asses… makes a guy wonder what kind of dirty thoughts you’ve been hiding behind those nerdy glasses.” His gaze dropped deliberately down my body, lingering on my chest and hips. “Bet you’re still a virgin, huh? All that attitude and no one’s f****d it out of you yet.” Heat flooded my face, anger and some other kind of strange feeling. “f**k you! At least I’m not hiding behind a tiny d**k and abusing animals.” For a second, his eyes became dark. Darker than I've ever seen. He opened his mouth to reply, but Aunt Linda’s voice cut through the trees. “Sera! Dinner’s ready, sweetie! Come inside!” I shot him one last glare and spun on my heel, my heart pounding. His low chuckle followed me. “This is gonna be a fun weekend, Ser.” Dinner was torture. The dining table was loaded with roast chicken, potatoes, and vegetables. Mum and Aunt Linda chattered happily. Caleb’s younger brother, Jake, was glued to his phone. But across from me, Caleb stared like he wanted to devour me or strangle me. Probably both. Every time I reached for something, his eyes tracked my movements. I stabbed my chicken harder than necessary. He smirked, slowly licking the sauce from his thumb in a way that made my stomach tighten. I glared back, refusing to look away first. Under the table, his foot brushed mine accidentally. But I could swear he did that on purpose. I kicked him back with enough force. He didn’t even flinch, he just raised an eyebrow, challenge written all over his face. “Will you please pass the salt, Ser?” he asked with a voice smooth as honey but dripping with mockery. The bastard only used please because we were in the presence of mum and Aunt Linda. So I slammed it down in front of him. Our fingers brushed and electricity shot up my arm. I hated how aware I was of him, how his shirt stretched across his chest, the faint scent of soap and after shave… Years of petty wars between us and suddenly my body was betraying me with traitorous heat low in my belly. Somehow we made it through dinner without bloodshed or anyone noticing the war happening across the table. I excused myself early, claiming exhaustion from the drive. The guest room was small, with a slanted roof and one narrow bed. I showered quickly and changed into sleep shorts and a tank top. I brushed my teeth too aggressively, and climbed under the covers. But sleep wouldn’t come. The cabin was too quiet, the woods too loud with different insect sounds. And my mind wouldn’t stop replaying that crude smirk, the way his eyes had dragged over me, my lips, my n*****s, my ass… like he owned me. At 2am, I was still wide awake, staring at the ceiling, when a soft knock sounded on the window. My heart slammed against my ribs. I sat up. The curtain shifted and a tall shadow filled the frame. Caleb. He slid the window open effortlessly and climbed inside, landing lightly on the floor. With the help of the moonlight, I could see his bare chest and all those hard defined muscles, he only wore jersey shorts. The door was locked, but he’d come through the window like he belonged here. Like he’d been planning this. He straightened, his eyes finding mine in the dark. That arrogant tilt was back, but there was hunger in it now. Real hunger. “Miss me already, cousin?”