I was in Felix's room, smiling as I looked at a photo of him as a cheerful toddler. It was the only childhood picture he had. The rest of the frames held photos with friends, and in the center of the wall hung a selfie of the two of us.
What puzzled me was the absence of any pictures of his parents. He had never mentioned them, and since I'd been coming to his house, I'd never seen them. Could it be that they really worked outside the city all the time? The thought that Felix might have grown up alone weighed on my heart. Besides me, he had no one truly close.
I smiled at him as he returned to the room with two mugs of hot chocolate. I sat in the desk chair while he took a seat on the bed.
"I've been thinking about the situation with you and Mike all night…" he began, gently blowing on the drink. "You were right. I overreacted. I was too harsh. Mike didn't do anything wrong. Now I understand why he wanted to keep it a secret. He was just afraid of how I'd respond."
"I'm glad you finally saw it that way," I said softly, taking a small sip. I watched him, noticing the confusion and remorse in his eyes.
"Mike is my best friend. He would never do anything to hurt me. He was there for me when I confessed I liked you. He did everything he could to help me be with you."
"Then maybe it's time to tell him that?" I suggested, offering a faint smile. "He's hurting because of how you've been treating him."
Felix gripped his mug more tightly.
"I'll call him tonight. I'll talk to him and apologize for how I acted. I hope he forgives me."
His words warmed my heart. In that moment, he resembled the boy I had fallen in love with.
I stood up from the chair and walked to him, sitting beside him on the bed. I rested my head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his hand around mine, smiling.
"You know… I've been thinking lately that I'd like you to meet my parents. I know we haven't been together long, and it might feel like a fast move, but… I'm serious about you. I think this could be the next step for us."I looked up into his eyes, surprised to see not fear, but joy shining in them."I want them to know about you."
"I'm really glad you said that, because it shows me how serious you are about us—about our future—even though we're still young."
"You don't need to prove anything to me," he murmured, brushing his lips against mine. "Because I'm never letting you go."
He kissed me, and my heart beat faster. Warmth spread through my entire body.
This time, I didn't want him to stop. I longed for more. I was ready to take the next step with him. I needed that closeness—to finally let go of the fear that haunted me.
Felix looked into my eyes, and I nodded. He pulled off his shirt and leaned in to kiss me again. His hand slid lower, gently slipping beneath my clothes. I trembled. For a moment, dark memories resurfaced, but I fought them back with all my strength.
This was Felix. My Felix.
"I love you, Selena," he whispered. The shadows of the past lingered, but I kept repeating to myself that I was safe now. With him.
I was ready. I wanted this closeness with all my heart.
With every motion, the pain gave way to pleasure. I had never felt so close to him before.
*
I never would have guessed that I'd have my first time at sixteen — especially considering how, until now, every man's touch had reminded me of the past I feared more than anything else.
But Felix… he made me stop being afraid.
Now I lay in his arms, warm and safe, happiness blooming gently in my chest. He held me tightly, like he wanted to protect me from the world and all its shadows.
"Are you all right?" he asked softly, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
"Yes," I murmured, lifting my face to meet his gaze. "I'm happy. Actually… I feel proud of myself."
He smiled and brushed his fingers across my cheek with a tenderness that melted something deep inside me.
"You're so beautiful, Selena. What did I do in a past life to deserve stealing your heart?"
"Maybe we were tragic lovers who reincarnated in this life to fix what went wrong before and finally live happily ever after," I said with a grin, making him laugh. "I'm trying to be romantic."
"Romantic?" he echoed, raising an eyebrow. I nodded. "Well, to me, you're so unbearably cute right now that I just want to kiss you to death."
I burst out laughing as he showered my skin with kisses, tickling me in the process. I tried to squirm away, but he pinned down my hands playfully, refusing to let me escape.
"Okay, okay! I'll stop being cute, just don't tickle me anymore!" I cried out between giggles.
"How could you stop being cute when you were born that way?" he teased. "You have no chance. I'm not letting you go for the next hour."
"Feeeelix…" I groaned in mock protest.
But just then, a loud woman's voice echoed from downstairs:
"Son, are you home?!"
We froze. I stared at Felix, wide-eyed, my heart suddenly hammering in panic. Had we really just heard his mother?
"Oh fuck, why now?" he muttered, leaping off the bed and scrambling to get dressed. I sat up, clutching the bedsheet to my chest.
"Selena, your clothes—hurry. She might come in any second."
In an instant, the dreamy mood shattered. I bolted into action, trying to dress without looking like I'd just been caught in a scandal.
God, how I hated the school uniform in moments like this—those damned shirt buttons were a nightmare.
While I tugged on my skirt, Felix quickly fixed the bed. Then came a knock at the door.
"Sit at the desk," he whispered urgently, opening his math book and spreading notes in front of me. I ran a hand through my messy hair and took a deep breath.
Felix opened the door.
"Why didn't you answer? Were you asleep?" his mother asked as she entered. I stood up politely from the chair to greet her.
"Good afternoon."
"Mom, this is Selena. I didn't answer because I was in the middle of tutoring. Helping a younger classmate with math," he replied smoothly, calm on the surface—but I could tell he was on edge.
He was nervous. Way more than I expected. I understood that he didn't introduce me as his girlfriend yet, but his discomfort was written all over him.
"Well, I'm glad you have girlfriends to help with school," she said pointedly, "but I still prefer when Mike's the one visiting. At least I know you won't do anything stupid when he's here."
Maybe it was just a first impression… but she already seemed controlling. The kind of mother who needed to keep everything in her grasp, including her son's life.
"Mom, that was unnecessary," Felix said, casting me a guilty glance. "I'm old enough to be left home alone for weeks. The least you can do is trust me."
She looked at me again, this time with a sharp, measuring gaze.
"I'd trust you more if your friends weren't so pretty."
And with that, she turned on her heel and walked out. Felix quietly closed the door.
"I'm so sorry," he said softly, walking over to me and pulling me into his arms. He stroked my hair gently. "You really shouldn't have met her. It would've been better that way. That's why I never talked about my parents. They're… alike. Both of them."
"Do you think she didn't like me?" I asked, trying to hide the worry in my voice.
"It's not that she didn't like you," he sighed. "She doesn't like anyone. She's prejudiced against everyone."
His voice was calm, but something cold lingered in his tone.
And something inside me whispered that this woman… might become the storm we'd have to weather.
"It's getting late. I should go."
"I'll walk you out," he said gently, taking my hand. "You don't have to say goodbye to them downstairs. If you do, they'll swarm you with questions like you're under police interrogation. Better to avoid that today."
We descended the stairs, and I heard voices from the kitchen. I quickly put on my shoes. Felix opened the door and stepped aside, letting me pass.
It felt strange, leaving like this—without even saying hello or goodbye to his father. But if Felix said this was for the best… I wouldn't question him.
Still, deep down, something didn't sit right.