Misery of Forbidden Love

What is this Magic?

JASON

I was surprised when I entered the bathroom and saw my face in the mirror. I was smiling. I didn't know why I was still smiling even though Sam wasn't in front of me anymore, making that cute smile.

Honestly speaking, there's something special about that girl. I think it's her eyes. Her expressive and honest eyes. I can see through her just by looking into her eyes. She's that vulnerable.

When I asked her where her home was, I immediately saw the pain and worry in her eyes. From there, I already knew that there was something wrong.

I didn't expect her to tell me the truth, though, but I'm glad she did because that made me feel comfortable, knowing that she trusted me.

"Steven, why did you put the life of that poor woman in misery?" I sighed and moved to remove my soaking wet suit.

I took a hot shower quickly to warm my cold body caused by the coldness of the rain, dried myself with a towel, and grabbed another towel hanging on the towel rack beside the shower enclosure to wrap around my waist.

The moment I stepped out of the bathroom, I heard a knock on the door.

I strode my way there and opened the door, wide enough for my eyes to peek through.

"Sir, you left your phone in the car, and Ms. Sam left her bag too." Harry raised my phone and Sam's bag in my line of sight.

I opened the door widely and took the items from him. "Thanks, Harry," I said, and shut the door after he left.

Sam's bag was wet as well, so I placed it on the glass coffee table to avoid soiling my carpet and checked my phone. There are ten missed calls showing on the screen.

I chuckled after checking it out. It was all from Steve.

I called him back. "Someone is really anxious." I teased him the second he answered my call.

"Hell yeah, I am. Did you find Sam?"

"I did."

"Where did you find her? Is she alright? Did she get wet in the rain?" I wanted to laugh, for I hadn't heard my cousin getting agitated because of a woman, but since he seemed distraught, I zipped it.

"I found her in an alley two blocks from your building. She got wet, so I brought her here to my house, to one of my guest rooms because she said she had nowhere to go."

"What?! She has an apart... f**k!" Steve rasped.

"It's Aunt Viola, isn't it?"

"That's for sure. f**k this! I can't wait to leave this hell and live a happy, peaceful life with Sam!" Steve's voice was laced with frustration as he spat every word.

"Is she okay? You said you found her in an alley. You know how dangerous the alleys are here in the city." I felt sorry for my cousin, hearing his depressing tone.

"Don't worry too much. Sam's fine, and she's with me now." With his current emotional state, it would be better not to tell him what happened.

"Thanks, Jason. Can you watch her for me? Find her a place to stay. I'll send you money later once I'm sure my mom is not spying on me anymore. She's watching my every move! Damn it!"

"Don't worry about that. I'll take care of Sam, and you don't need to pay me back for any dime I'm gonna spend on her. We're family. If Sam is special to you, she's special to me too. I consider her as a family now. Just focus on dealing with your mom, and I promise that I'll take care of Sam. I'll keep her safe for you." I assured him.

"Alright. I have to go. My meeting is about to start. Keep me posted, okay?" Desperation was evident in Steve's voice.

"I will," I said, and then I heard voices in the background.

"Gotta go, man." Steve hung up.

I tossed my phone on the bed and started getting dressed inside my walk-in closet.

I decided to skip work today after finding out that she's homeless. She might get scared if I left her alone, especially after what she'd been through.

I slid into my daily comfy clothes, black sweatpants, a plain slim fit white cotton shirt, and my favorite Tom Ford Wicklow slides in black.

Satisfied with how I looked, I made a beeline for the coffee table, picked up Sam's backpack, and headed out of my room.

I rushed down the corridor, going to Sam's room, and I don't know why I felt excited about seeing her.

I knocked three times on her door. "Sam?" I called and waited for a while, but she didn't answer.

I knocked louder. "Sam? Are you okay there? Can I get your clothes now?"

I pressed my ear against the door. I couldn't hear a single noise coming from inside.

"Is she taking a warm bath?" I thought.

Well, that would help her to feel better and increase her body temperature. I got really worried when I saw her shivering in the car. Her lips were already bluish, but they became slightly pink when Harry turned on the heater, and that gave me a sense of relief, seeing her color come back.

It would be better to let her take her sweet time, and I'll use this opportunity to make her some honey-lemon-ginger tea.

Decided, I turned towards the stairs, but my feet froze when I realized something. I don't think Sam will take a bath without telling me based on how I read her personality.

I spun on my heel and reached for the brass knob. To my surprise, it turned in my hand.

I slowly opened the door. "Sam? I'm coming in."

Concern spiraled in my guts when Sam didn't respond.

I barreled into her room, panicked eating me, and dropped her bag on the floor as I commenced searching the entire bedroom.

A cloud of worry filled my head when I didn't find any sign of her except the wet shoe prints on the fluffy, light gray carpet going to the bathroom door.

I followed the print and knocked on the door. "Sam? Are you in there?" I asked loudly.

Strings of terror coiled in my stomach from Sam's alarming silence.

"I'm coming in!" I turned the knob, but this time, it was locked.

"s**t!" I grumbled.

"Key, key... Where's the key?!" I said aloud, trying to remember where the keys for the guest's rooms were.

"f**k the keys!" I slammed my arm on the door over and over again, wielding all my strength to break it.

Aggravated, I stopped and rubbed the frustration off my face. "Damn it!"

I took a couple of steps backward and started kicking the door. It failed to open on the first kick, and the same goes on the second.

"Come on!" I uttered under gritted teeth before my third attempt.

I concentrated all my weight on my right leg and kicked the door again with all my might.

The door crashed open on my last attempt.

"Finally!" I groaned and stormed into the bathroom.

"Sam!" I screamed, fear engulfing me. And the blood drained from my face as I spotted her, lying naked on the floor and not moving.

Worried sick, I strode to the closet near the entrance and grabbed the robe. Luckily, I could still think straight even though I was scared as f**k!

I hurried and slumped to Sam's side. I wrapped the robe around her, the back part on top of her. I did it without looking anywhere else but her flushed face.

The skin of the back of my left hand almost got burned from the heat emitted by her fiery body when I pressed it on her forehead. She's burning up with fever.

I slipped my left hand on her cheek, my palm touching her surface. "Sam, can you hear me?"

I searched her features for any response and observed her thirsty lips for any sound. Unfortunately, there were none.

I shifted my position, fit to stand up while carrying her, and then scooped her in my arms in a bridal carry.

I could feel the fever on Sam's nape and the back of her knees spreading on my arms as I carried her to the bed.

Slowly, I settled her down on top of the blanket, cautiously pulled it out under her, and placed it on top of her, not leaving any skin exposed except for her head. I have to be extra careful with handling her, since the robe is not tied up.

Then, I reached for the phone on the side table and dialed my household's home number.

I designed my guest rooms like a hotel to make my guests' stay more convenient, and I'm glad I did. It never clicked my mind that I was going to use it for emergencies someday.

"Hello, this is Luisa. You have..."

"Luisa, call Dr. Smith. Tell him to come to my house ASAP." I ordered, interrupting her opening message.

"Right away, sir." I hung up once she confirmed.

I went back to the bathroom, took a face towel from the cabinet where I got the robe, damped it with cold water from the sink, and hurried back to Sam, sitting on the edge of the bed right beside her.

Gently, I patted her forehead with the wet towel.

"Hmm..." Sam groaned once the towel touched her skin. Then she knitted her brows.

"It's just a towel with water, Sam," I said softly.

Her eyes flutter open, distracting me from what I'm doing.

My body froze, and my heart skipped a beat when her eyes locked with mine, staring at me with so much hurt, and then it softened. The pained look disappeared and was replaced with passion.

Sam pulled her arm out of the blanket. I just sat still, waiting for her next move.

She extended her hand right to my face and pressed her warm palm on my cheek, causing my heart to beat rapidly. I can't understand why I'm getting so nervous. I never felt anxious in front of women. Usually, they were the ones who got nervous in front of me, not the other way around.

"You're back. You came back to me." She smiled weakly.

"You're making a..." I pursed my lips.

Sam was sick, and I could tell her heart was broken into pieces. I knew she thought I was Steve, so I had better play along and allow her to be happy even at this moment.

"Yes, Sam. I'm back, and I will never leave you again." I know it's her fever causing this delusion, and for sure, she wouldn't even remember if I pretended to be my cousin. We have the same eye color anyway, the Langerfield guy's distinct trait. I suspect that it's also one of the reasons that made her think that I am Steve.

"Promise me that you won't kiss anyone else but me." Her teary eyes and brittle voice pinched a part of my heart. Was it guilt? I'm not sure, but there was one thing I'm sure of, Sam earned a place in my heart, my sympathy perhaps.

I smiled. "I promise."

The hair on my back stood up when I felt Sam's hand on my cheek slide around my neck.

She began pulling me closer to her. She was applying a small amount of force, but it was hard to resist. My body couldn't pull away.

Her warm breath was already fanning my face, and the tips of our noses were just an inch away from their meeting point.

Shit! What is this magic? Why couldn't I move away from her? Why am I allowing her to pull me down continually?

Shivers ran down my spine the moment the tip of my nose brushed against hers.

"I love you, Steve," she murmurs.

Right, I was just pretending. I'm doing this to make her feel better, to end Sam's pain temporarily.

"I love you too, Sam." The words came out naturally from my mouth. The words I never told anyone except my mother.

But why was it so easy to tell her that which I found hard to say to all the women I dated? Oh yeah, because I'm just pretending. That's it! Don't overthink Jason.

Drowning in my thoughts, I didn't realize that my head kept on going down until my lips touched Sam's warm, slightly dry but soft lips.

Before I could push myself up, her hand had already run through my hair and pulled my head all the way down.

Our lips collided, her fingers tangled in my hair possessively, sending the message that I'm all hers.

Wait, I should keep in mind that this wasn't for me. This was for Steve. I better stop this madness, for I don't like what her touch was doing to my body, especially from the inside. It's weird and scary.

"Why aren't you kissing me?" she muttered over my lips, her voice laced with dismay.

Her question made me lose it, so I decided to give her what she wanted, which Steve couldn't provide.

I captured her bottom lip and sucked it gently and Sam responded warmly to my action. She parted her lips and flicked my upper lip with the tip of her tongue. She really craved a more sensual kiss.

I shifted my position and met her tongue.

Her kiss was full of love and devotion, not desire. So gentle and sincere.

I've never experienced this kind of kiss before, and I have to admit it felt wonderful. And because of that, I allow myself to drown in the ecstasy of her passionate kiss, even if it wasn't really for me.