Read Illicit Affair | 18+ :: Chapter 5

Tristan felt off. His body was functioning, sure—his hands steady on the wheel, his eyes locked on the road—but everything else? Completely out of sync. His thoughts were tangled, his stomach knotted, and his mind kept drifting back to what had happened.

He hadn’t meant to upset Renee. That was the last thing he wanted. But when Nicole called, he hadn’t thought twice before picking up. Hearing her voice again had brought back a wave of familiarity, something warm and comforting. She had wanted to meet up, patch things up, and try again.

He hesitated but ultimately told her he wouldn’t be home. That’s when she asked where he was going—and when she suggested tagging along.

It had seemed harmless at the time. He missed her, and spending time together with his family didn’t sound like a bad idea. Even if he had thought it was a bad idea, saying no to Nicole was never easy. She had a way of getting what she wanted, and he had always been weak to it.

What he hadn’t considered was how Renee would react. He should have. He knew his stepbrother well enough to know that Renee wasn’t good with people, especially not with Nicole. It wasn’t that they had a bad history—there just wasn’t much history at all. Renee barely acknowledged her. Their conversations never went beyond casual greetings, and any attempt at small talk from Nicole had always been met with indifference.

Nicole used to ask if Renee hated her. Tristan had assured her that wasn’t the case. That was just who Renee was—distant, guarded, uninterested in bonding with people he didn’t absolutely have to.

And now, here they were.

Tristan’s fingers gripped the wheel a little tighter as they cruised down the highway toward Malibu. Music played softly in the background, Nicole humming along, her hand intertwined with his. She looked happy. Excited.

He should be, too.

But instead, all he could think about was the look on Renee’s face when he found out Nicole was coming. The tension in his voice. The way he shut down completely before hanging up.

Tristan sighed. He was tempted to call again, even though he knew Renee wouldn’t answer.

“Hey, Trist, are you okay?” Nicole’s soft voice broke through his thoughts. She had let go of his hand, her palm now resting on his shoulder. “You’ve been quiet since we left.”

He glanced at her before forcing a small smile. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

She arched an eyebrow, unconvinced. “Is it about Renee? Did you two fight?”

Tristan hesitated. He didn’t like lying to her. But saying yes, my stepbrother is pissed that you’re here didn’t sound like the best approach either.

“We argued, yeah,” he admitted. “But it had nothing to do with you.”

Nicole gave him a knowing look but didn’t push. Instead, she squeezed his arm. “You should talk to him when we get there. You know how you guys are—always arguing but never staying mad for long. And please, stop overthinking. You might get us in an accident, and dying is not on my to-do list.”

He chuckled at that, the tension in his chest loosening just a little. “Okay, m’lady.”

She grinned. “That’s more like it.”

Even with her reassurance, though, he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in his gut. Renee was still on his mind.

He just had to wait until they arrived.

---

It was past six in the evening when they pulled into the driveway of his parents’ house—a massive, luxurious home in Malibu’s wealthiest neighborhood. Tristan parked in the garage next to his father’s car and stretched as he stepped out, rolling the stiffness from his shoulders.

Nicole yawned. “God, that drive was brutal.”

Tristan barely registered her words. His eyes scanned the driveway. Renee’s car wasn’t there.

Damn.

He tried not to let the worry show on his face as he grabbed their bags from the back seat. That was when the front door flew open.

“Oh my God—Gabe, he’s here!”

His mother’s voice rang through the air, and before Tristan could brace himself, he was engulfed in a suffocating hug.

“Ma,” he wheezed, laughing as he hugged her back. For someone so small, she sure knew how to squeeze the life out of a person.

Jesse finally pulled away, cupping his face between her hands. “Look at you! Taller, more handsome—God, I missed you.” She smacked his shoulder, making him wince.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“For not visiting! You miss me, but you never come to see me. You and your brother are the worst.”

“Okay, okay—I’m sorry,” Tristan said, raising his hands in surrender.

His father, Gabriel, chuckled as he stepped forward. “Jesse, let the boy breathe.” He turned to Tristan, offering a firm handshake before pulling him into a hug. “Good to have you home, son.”

Nicole smiled as she approached, and Jesse immediately turned her attention to her. “Nicole, sweetheart! You look stunning—has my son been treating you well?”

Tristan tensed. Of course, they didn’t know about the breakup.

Nicole hesitated briefly before nodding. “Yeah, he has.”

Jesse beamed. “That’s what I like to hear. Come inside, both of you—wait.” She frowned, glancing around. “Where’s Renee? I thought he was riding with you.”

Tristan shifted. “Uh… he changed his mind. Drove himself.”

Jesse didn’t look convinced, but she nodded. “Alright. Come in, then. Oh, and Naomi’s asleep. She sprained her ankle yesterday playing with her friends.”

Tristan’s eyes widened. “Shit. Is she okay?”

“She’s fine now, just resting. She’s going to be so excited to see you when she wakes up.”

Before he could respond, the sound of an approaching SUV caught his attention. Tristan let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding as Renee’s car pulled into the garage.

Finally,

His stepbrother stepped out, grabbing his bag from the passenger seat. His face was unreadable—expression completely neutral, eyes cool and distant.

Jesse wasted no time, rushing over and hugging him just as fiercely as she had Tristan. Renee sighed but didn’t fight it. “Mom.”

“Oh, don’t ‘Mom’ me.” She kissed his cheek before pulling back. “Why didn’t you come with your brother?”

“I’m here now,” was all he said.

Gabriel greeted him next, and Renee exchanged a few quiet words with him before his gaze flickered toward Tristan and Nicole. His eyes landed on their intertwined hands.

And for a brief moment, Tristan saw something sharp and unreadable pass through Renee’s expression.

Then, just like that, it was gone.

Without a word, Renee locked his car and walked straight inside.

The air, thick with heavy tension. Uncomfortable silence and awkwardness followed.

Jesse glanced between them, sensing something off, but she didn’t pry. “Come on, let’s all head in.”

"Come on, let's go in. You all need to rest, you look tired," She ushered them, They nodded and went inside.

Dinner was fine. The table was filled with chatter and laughter as Jesse and Gabriel prepared everyone’s favorite dishes. The food was good, and the mood was light—at least for most of them.

Renee, however, was unusually quiet. It wasn’t out of the ordinary; his family was used to him not being the most talkative at the table. But tonight, his silence felt heavier. Still, he made an effort to talk to his little sister, Naomi, who had finally woken up after what seemed like an eternity of sleep. She limped downstairs, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and froze when she spotted Tristan and Nicole.

Her reaction had been comical—wide-eyed shock followed by a million questions.

She was ecstatic to see them and didn’t hesitate to insert herself into every conversation. She wanted updates on their lives, work, and everything in between. Renee answered her with short, generic responses, nodding along as she spoke.

Then the inevitable happened.

Someone brought up his love life.

Renee barely hesitated before shutting it down. “I’m not interested in love right now,” he said, stabbing his food a little harder than necessary. “I don’t want anyone in my life. I’m fine being alone.”

His mother’s gaze lingered, like she wanted to press further, but he made it clear with a single look that he wasn’t in the mood for that conversation.

Luckily, the topic shifted.

The attention turned to Tristan and Nicole—how they were doing, how they were making things work. They both assured the family that things were fine, that the two months apart hadn’t changed anything between them.

That’s when Jesse and Gabriel, in their usual teasing manner, joked about marriage.

The reaction was immediate.

Tristan, Nicole, and Renee all stiffened as if someone had just dumped a bucket of ice water on them. The couple laughed it off, brushing it aside with an awkward wave of the hand. Marriage wasn’t on the table right now—they had only just gotten back together, trying to rebuild what was lost.

Of course, they didn’t tell the family that.

Renee sat there, pretending to be unaffected, but the whole conversation made his stomach twist. He hated it. Hated that they were back together. Hated that things had seemingly fallen back into place so easily.

He wasn’t even mad about earlier—he realized now he’d been overreacting, being petty over nothing. That didn’t mean he liked what was happening.

Not once did he look at Tristan.

But he could feel Tristan looking at him. Every. Single. Time.

Renee knew what he wanted. Knew that Tristan was waiting for a chance to talk, to sort things out. But the truth was, he didn’t want to. It was easier to stay angry than to explain why he was acting like a jealous, bitter ex-lover.

When dinner ended, the group moved to the living room, still caught up in conversation. Renee, however, had no interest in staying. He stood up and stretched. “I’m heading to my room.”

They all nodded in acknowledgment.

And then, just as he reached the stairs, he heard it.

“Go.”

It was Nicole’s voice.

Tristan blinked at her, confused. “What?”

“Go talk to him.” She nudged her chin toward Renee’s retreating figure.

Tristan hesitated before nodding.

Renee knew Tristan was following him before he even reached the top of the stairs. He didn’t need to turn around to confirm it. The weight of his presence was unmistakable.

“Renee.”

He didn’t respond. Instead, he quickened his pace, wanting nothing more than to lock himself away.

A firm grip on his wrist stopped him in his tracks.

“What?” Renee turned, expression blank, meeting Tristan’s eyes.

Tristan sighed, looking almost… defeated. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I didn’t think you’d be that mad about Nicole coming—”

“Would you have told her not to come if you knew I wouldn’t like it?” Renee cut in.

Tristan faltered. Opened his mouth. Closed it again.

That was enough of an answer.

“Right,” Renee muttered.

“Renee—”

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” he said flatly. “I was being stupid. I overreacted. You bringing your girlfriend was completely normal.” His voice wavered slightly, but he pushed through. “I just… thought we had more time. But then she came, and everything moved so fast, and suddenly, boom—you’re back with her.” His lips pressed into a tight line. “You know how I am. I have trouble adjusting.”

Tristan stared at him, speechless.

Renee almost scoffed at himself. He couldn’t believe he had just admitted all of that. Normally, he would’ve told Tristan to fuck off.

But here he was. Explaining himself.

“It does matter to me,” Tristan said after a beat. His voice was quiet but firm. “It shouldn’t, but it does. I don’t like it when you’re mad at me, Renee. I hate when you ignore me. I hate when we fight. Can we just… go back to how we were?”

He grasped both of Renee’s hands, eyes pleading.

If it were anyone else touching him like this, Renee would’ve ripped his hands away. He hated physical contact. But it was Tristan.

“To fuck buddies?” Renee asked dryly, half-joking—half not.

Tristan chuckled, shaking his head. “No, idiot. Back to being best friends.”

Best friends.

Renee’s mind drifted to two days ago.

The movie marathon. The teasing. The food-sharing.

Then his thoughts shifted to the morning after—cuddling, waking up hard, pretending it didn’t happen.

Then… that night. Tristan in his room. The way he touched himself, whispering Renee’s name.

None of that was what best friends did.

But Renee didn’t care. He was willing to play along. See where this went.

“Okay,” he muttered.

Tristan’s face lit up. “Do you forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to—”

“Renee.”

Renee sighed. “Fine. I forgive you.”

Tristan grinned, and before Renee could react, he pulled him into a hug.

It should’ve been a casual hug.

It wasn’t.

They held on too long, breathing each other in. Renee felt himself relax in Tristan’s warmth. It wasn’t until someone cleared their throat that they practically jumped apart.

Nicole.

“So, everything’s good?” she asked, smiling.

Tristan stammered out a “Yeah.”

Renee took the out. “I’m heading to bed. Night.”

“Good night,” they both said in unison, watching as Renee disappeared into his childhood room.

Nicole yawned, and Tristan glanced at her. She looked adorable with her sleepy, droopy eyes.

“Come on,” he murmured, taking her hand and leading her to his room.

As they settled into bed, Nicole muttered, “Naomi exhausted me. She’s so curious.”

Tristan chuckled. “She knows more than she should.”

“Smart girl,” Nicole murmured.

“Like me,” Tristan said smugly.

Nicole scoffed.