Sinful Liabilities ✔️ || 18+ ||

07 | Absolutely Not Innocent

Tip seven; enthusiasm really is the key. Be confident and enthusiastic and you'll enjoy it and they will think you're good. But practice makes perfect, grab that pillow and practice riding it. Draw with your hips, up, down - side to side. Spell out the word Coconut. That is what you want to do when you're on top.

Ivy

I watch the door shut.

I stand there for a second longer than necessary, staring at the door like it might open again if I concentrate hard enough.

It doesn't.

Eventually, I move.

Save me a dance.

What does that even mean?

I drift to the window, pushing the curtain aside with two fingers. Outside, the afternoon light is soft, golden, the kind that makes everything look beautiful. Asher crosses the front lawn with my brother beside him, their shoulders bumping like they always do, easy and familiar.

Leon says something that makes Asher laugh.

The sound carries faintly through the glass.

And then, as if Asher feels my eye on him, his gaze moves up to me in the window.

My stomach drops and I step back from the window with a jerk, letting the curtain drop from my fingers.

My heart pounds like I was caught doing sornthing illegal. Which is ridiculous . I was just . . . looking.

Then I hear the sound of Leon's car starting and I breathe out the breath I didn't realise I was holding.

The house goes quiet.

Not peaceful quiet. Empty quiet.

I exhale slowly, pressing my forehead to the cool glass. "C'mon Ivy," I mutter to myself. He's helping you. That's it. He's confident. He flirts with everyone.

I repeat it like a mantra.

Then I turn away from the window.

My room feels different now. Too still. Like it knows what I'm about to do and is judging me for it.

I sit on the edge of my bed and stare at my bedside table.

The book is right there.

Face down. Innocent.

Absolutely not innocent.

I pick it up and flip it open to the page from last night.

The words jump out at me immediately. Not even trying to be subtle.

I sigh. "Okay," I tell the empty room. "Homework."

I stretch out on the bed, propping myself up against the pillows. I read for a bit first - force myself to actually read instead of skim - trying to focus on the characters, the setting, the whole dramatic buildup the author clearly worked very hard on.

It's... effective.

My body reacts before my brain catches up, warmth pooling low in my stomach. I remember what Asher said. About paying attention. About learning what feels good.

"Scientific," I whisper. "This is very scientific."

I close my eyes.

I try to focus inward. Sensations. Reactions. What makes me pause, what makes me want more. I try to stay present, to treat it like a lesson instead of whatever spiral my mind wants to go down.