Renee arrived home ahead of him, and he headed straight to his room, ignoring the puzzled glances from his family. Once inside, he leaned against the door and slid down to the floor.

Moments later, a knock echoed through the door. "Renee?"

"Mom, I'm fine. I just need some time alone," he replied.

He heard her let out a deep sigh. "Alright, but please change out of those clothes. I don't want you to get sick."

"Okay," he murmured, listening as she walked away.

He closed his eyes and exhaled heavily, wishing everyone would take the hint and leave him be.

His head throbbed, exhaustion weighed him down, and his eyes burned, but the most painful sensation was the ache in his heart. He despised what he had just done and regretted it deeply; the look on Tristan's face haunted him. His body shook, not just from the chill but from the guilt that was swelling within him. He had to make a choice, one that would prevent him from sinking deeper. He didn't want to ruin his seemingly perfect life-no feelings, no drama, no commitments; everything was supposed to be just right. Yet, it didn't feel that way. A persistent voice inside him urged him to let go, but he refused to listen. He can't let his heart decide for him, He would just end up in pain.

Tristan was a tempting desire he had indulged in countless times, and now it felt unhealthy to keep yearning for something that would never truly be his. After all, Tristan was his stepbrother, and society would never accept them. Whenever Tristan was with his own love, he would be left alone, just as he always had been.

That's why he needed to protect himself, guard his heart, and avoid hoping for something unattainable. He had witnessed the madness love could bring-people crying over betrayal, partners leaving for someone else. He wanted no part of that chaos; solitude was far more appealing. No heartbreak, no drama.

He rose to his feet and made his way to the bathroom. Gazing into the mirror, he felt a wave of discomfort wash over him as he took in his reflection. His damp hair was a tangled mess, from his fingers constantly running through them. His eyes appeared hollow and lifeless, lacking any spark, while his lips were cracked and his complexion had faded to an ashen hue. He was so pale.

In short, he looked terrible.

He peeled off his clothes and sank into the warm bath he had drawn for himself. As he settled into the tub, he felt the tension in his body melt away, his mind becoming foggy and his eyelids heavy. Exhausted, it wasn't long before he drifted off to sleep.

When Tristan arrived home, the rain had finally ceased, leaving him just as exhausted as Renee. The house was quiet until Jesse and Nicole emerged from the kitchen.

"Oh my goodness, you're back! You're completely soaked," Nicole exclaimed, rushing over to him.

He masked his sorrow with a smile.

"Yeah," he replied softly. "Why didn't you wait for the rain to let up? You could catch a cold."

"I couldn't wait," He said, "I missed you too much, so I had to come home right away." This brought a smile to Nicole's face. "Come on, let's get you out of those wet clothes."

"Okay," he nodded. She guided him up the stairs, glancing back at Jesse. "Ma, I'll be back in a minute."

With a warm smile, Jesse acknowledged her.

Just then, Naomi dashed in from the backyard, wearing a raincoat. "Mommy, Daddy said you need to give me the screwdriver from the storage cabinet!"

"Your father really knows how to add stress to my day, doesn't he? He should have grabbed it himself," she replied with a frown as she headed to retrieve the screwdriver. Naomi giggled at her mother's playful annoyance, trailing closely behind.

Meanwhile, Tristan was busy shedding his clothes with Nicole's help. Once he was down to just his wet boxers, she stepped into the bathroom to grab a towel.

"Thanks," he said, smiling as she handed it to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

He then removed his boxers, standing completely naked before her. Her gaze traveled from his face down to his body, lingering on his midsection. She noticed he was half-erect, and her breath caught in her throat. She longed for him to take her, but memories of earlier events flooded her mind.

Forcing her eyes back to Tristan's face, she found him looking at her with an intense gaze, his eyes darkening.

"Trist? Tristan, I think you should go take a warm sho-mph!"

Before she could finish her thought, Tristan lunged at her, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. It was urgent, filled with all the frustration, sadness, and anger he had been holding back. Nicole melted into him as he took control, the towel slipping from her grasp and falling to the floor.

She began to respond to his kisses, but soon found herself overwhelmed by Tristan's intense passion, which she secretly adored. Wrapping her legs around him, he lifted her effortlessly and made his way to the large closet, using his leg to slam the door shut behind them. For a brief moment, he set her down, tearing her shorts from her waist before lifting her again. He was consumed by his desires, oblivious to the consequences of his actions; he craved this release, a distraction from the events of the day, desperate to erase him from his mind.

"You need to be quiet," he cautioned her before plunging into her deep, seeking his own pleasure while ensuring she felt it too.

Her back arched as he moved with urgency, each thrust eliciting involuntary moans from her lips.

"Tristan...!" she cried out.

He quickly covered her mouth with his hand, continuing to thrust against her body pressed against the wardrobe. "Shh..."

Throughout the encounter, Nicole couldn't help but wonder why Tristan seemed determined to claim her fiercely; the guy was fucking the living delight out of her. it felt like they were caught in a whirlwind of raw desire. Perhaps he had been longing for this moment, eager to express just how much he wanted her, matching her own fervor. She felt filled up to the hilt and she loved it unaware of he true reason of all this.

It was primal, and she found herself reveling in it. As she reached her peak with her body trembling and eyes rolling to the back of her head from the harsh thrusts, muffled screams escaped her, with Tristan following closely behind.

They leaned against each other, breathless, the air thick with the scent of sex and sweat.

Nicole smiled at Tristan, who was steadying her on her shaky legs. "What just happened? I can barely stand," she teased, raising an eyebrow.

He glanced down at her, concern flickering in his eyes.

"I'm sorry if I was too rough. I just..."

"It's fine," she reassured him, pressing her lips to his. "You know I enjoy it a little wild."

He returned her a fake smile, pulling her in for another kiss before breaking away.

"Let's go take a bath," he suggested, and she nodded, allowing him to scoop her up in his arms and carry her to the bathroom.

Tristan was feeling worse than he was since earlier; he was nowhere near okay. Regret gnawed at him for his actions. Sleeping with Nicole might have seemed appealing, but he was too consumed by the storm of emotions within him. Now, he loathed himself for treating her like a mere object, as if she were just a means to an end. Their passionate encounter had only served to unleash the stress he had been trying to escape.

He had turned to her in an attempt to forget someone who lingered in his thoughts-the one who he happen to always think about. Ironically, even as he sought to erase that person from his mind, he found himself envisioning him instead of Nicole. He pictured holding him close, imagining Renee in the same vulnerable position, with his legs held opened like that and him plunging him hard and it twisted his insides.

The self-hatred he felt was overwhelming and inexplicable, he was disgusted with himself. He despised himself for using Nicole, who certainly didn't deserve such treatment, and he felt he had made a grave mistake. Sleeping with her felt like a betrayal, a violation of something sacred, like he just proved a point of how dumb he's been. He could have just kept it in his pants. Whatever he and Nicole did was a mistake and he definitely didn't want it to happen again because it felt so utterly wrong. Like he cheated, like he wronged him.

Seeing Renee in the house only deepened his pain. It was agonizing to realize that when they were alone, Renee would deliberately avoid him, as if they were strangers as they had agreed on. That reality infuriated him.

He yearned to grab the brunette, pin him against the wall, and kiss him fiercely, and fuck the stubbornness that surrounded him out of him. The urge was almost unbearable. He knew he couldn't do that, he's done enough damage as it is, Renee had expressed how hurt he's been so maybe staying away was actually a good idea because he knew he'd keep doing things to hurt this man.

Dinner had just wrapped up a few minutes ago when Naomi approached him, asking to borrow his phone to play games since her mother had confiscated her tablet for misbehavior. He couldn't resist her pleading puppy eyes and willingly handed it over.

As she dashed off to hide, perhaps in the closet, Renee appeared at the top of the stairs. Tristan froze, caught in the moment as their eyes met. Renee knew he had to look away before he did something he would regret.

He strolled into the kitchen, and Tristan's gaze bore into his back, a sensation he couldn't shake. Tristan appreciated the view from behind; that snug, round backside fit perfectly in those sweatpants, which looked oddly familiar... because they were his. Renee had swiped them while he was in the shower, opting to wear Tristan's clothes instead of the ones he owned tucked away in the man's wardrobe. That had been four days ago at his place, where they had shared a movie and bickered about trivial things. A smile crept onto his face at the thought but then it fell at how things had become now.

Meanwhile, Renee was experiencing a mild panic attack as he gulped down cold water from a glass.

Wow! He was completely caught off-guard by Tristan's presence, and it was the first time the weight of his decision hit him hard. After heading upstairs to his room, he had stayed there for dinner, fabricating a story about a client he needed to speak with on the phone. His mom had suggested he take his meal in his room, and he had never felt more thankful. Now, it was incredibly difficult to walk by without saying anything to Tristan. Those brown eyes that sent shivers down his spine made it clear he needed to escape.

Naturally, he knew he couldn't just move on overnight; it would take time, and he was aware of that. He intended to maintain as much distance as necessary.

And that's exactly what he did for the remainder of their time at their parents' house. Though, He hardly saw Tristan, who seemed to be either holed up in his room or out and about. He overheard Nicole and his mom discussing how distant Tristan had become. Curiosity piqued, but he reminded himself it wasn't his concern anymore.

As Sunday came to a close, they prepared to leave. Renee embraced his mom as she bid farewell, then hugged Gabriel, trying to reassure Naomi that he would visit again soon. The little girl sobbed uncontrollably.

Tristan did the same, ready to depart with his girlfriend.

As planned, they both wore fake smiles and cheerful expressions to avoid raising any suspicions.

They parted ways unsure if they would see or contact each other again.