𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐃 𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐑

~𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝐹𝒾𝒻𝓉𝑒𝑒𝓃 ~

KOHEN

The next morning arrived with a groggy haze, as sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow across the room. I slowly opened my eyes. Reality began to seep in as I realized that I had fallen asleep on the couch.

I knew if I couldn't sleep in Tara's bed last night, I didn't want to sleep in Kristina's. I knew I'd have to sleep in Kristina's bed again, but last night, I didn't want to.

Just as the fog of sleep started to clear, I heard footsteps approaching. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Kristina standing before me, her expression a mix of concern and confusion.

"Kohen, what are you doing sleeping on the couch?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of hurt.

"Sorry, I just crashed." I say to her.

Kristina frowns and folds her arms. "You've been distant lately, and I don't understand why."

I sat up, running a hand through my disheveled hair, trying to gather my thoughts. I realized the emotional distance I had unintentionally created between us. Kristina deserved an explanation, even if I didn't fully understand my own conflicted feelings.

But not now.

"I'm sorry, Kris," I said. "Just work stuff."

"But you're on vacation." She said.

"Not exactly. I'm just working from home."

Her eyes softened, and she took a seat beside me on the couch. "Kohen, we've always been able to talk to each other. Whatever it is, we'll face it together."

How do you tell your wife that you're having feelings for her daughter?

The answer is you don't.

"Kris, it's nothing. Okay?" I reassure her.

Kristina sighed and got up. "Just..... tell me when you're ready to talk, okay?"

I give a small smile and nod.

"I'm going to finish getting ready for work." She says.

"Alright. I'm going to make some coffee."

I got up from the couch and entered the kitchen. I began to make my coffee and stretched.

I stood by the counter, preparing a fresh pot of coffee, the rich aroma filling the air.

As I poured the steaming coffee into a mug, I heard the sound of footsteps descending the stairs. Tara appeared in the doorway, her hand pressed to her forehead, clearly nursing a hangover. Her eyes squinted against the morning light, and she winced as she caught sight of the coffee.

Awww, she has a headache.

"Good morning!" I greeted her, my voice deliberately cheerful. "How'd you sleep sunshine!"

I couldn't resist a mischievous grin, knowing full well the effect it would have on her throbbing headache.

Tara's expression shifted from discomfort to annoyance as she glared at me. "Could you please keep it down? My head is killing me."

With a dramatic flair, I turned on the blender, the loud whirring noise filling the room. The sound was intentionally jarring, a playful way to tease her.

Tara winced, her face contorting in pain. "Kohen, seriously? Can't you give me a break?"

I switched off the blender, unable to hide my amusement. "I thought the noise might wake you up fully."

She groaned, sinking into a nearby chair. "You're impossible."

I chuckled, setting the coffee mug in front of her. "Here, drink this. It'll help."

Tara eyed the coffee warily but took a tentative sip, her expression softening slightly as the warm liquid touched her lips. She let out a sigh of relief, appreciating the soothing effect it had on her pounding head.

As she slowly sipped the coffee, I leaned against the counter, studying her. The events of the previous night still lingered between us.

"Feeling any better?!" I asked, my voice louder this time.

"Dude."

I chuckled and shook my head. "Okay, okay. Are you feeling better?"

Tara nodded, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Yeah. Thanks. I needed this."

"You're welcome," I replied, my voice tinged with sincerity.

"For last night too. I'm sorry if I did anything supid." She says.

"Hm. Not much."

"Thanks anyway." She says.

"You know, I'm always here for you, even if it means annoying you with blenders."

"Yeah, yeah." She chuckled.

"Go get your pills." I say to her.

"Ughh but -"

"Gooooo." I say, cutting her off.

She rolls her eyes and groans. "Fine." She mumbles and gets up.

"Thank you, bella."

I wiped down the kitchen counter as she made her way up the steps. As I reached for the sponge to clean the stove, a blood-curdling scream pierced through the tranquility of the house.

My heart skipped a beat, and my hand instinctively dropped the sponge. The scream was unmistakably Tara's. Panic surged through me as I raced towards the source of the commotion, my mind flooded with worst-case scenarios.

I burst into Tara's room, my eyes scanning the surroundings frantically. She stood frozen, her trembling finger pointed at the wall. Following her gaze, I saw it, an innocent-looking lizard clinging to the wall. It seemed harmless, but to Tara, it was a terrifying nightmare.

"Kohen!" she shrieked, desperation etched on her face. "Kill it! Kill that thing right now!"

My stomach churned with revulsion. I had never been a fan of reptiles, and lizards ranked high on my list of creatures that made my skin crawl.

"Why can't you do it?" I say to her.

"Just kill it!" She yelled.

"I am not touching that thing."

"Are you seriously afraid of it?" She says in disbelief.

"No." I answer. "I just.... I don't want to touch it. They make my skin crawl."

Her eyes widened in disbelief, her panic escalating. "Are you kidding me? This is an emergency! I can't handle it, Kohen. Please, just kill it!"

She approached me, desperation giving her strength as she tried to push me closer to the wall. I could see the terror in her eyes, her fear overpowering any rational thought.

"No way you do it." I argue.

We'll laugh about this later. For now, we'll argue.

Kristina pushed us both aside. "You're both idiots." She says in annoyance. "I'll deal with it."

~☆~