Ren’s footsteps were quiet as he led upstairs. I swear even the air slled cleaner in this house.
And then we reached his room.
He pushed the door open, and I almost choked. Of course it was white. White sheets, white walls, white curtains that fluttered gently.
It was elegant. Everything in perfect order, like it had been staged for a magazine shoot.
anwhile my own room back ho looked like a hurricane lived there rent-free.
"Your room looks like... heaven," I said before I could stop myself.
Ren chuckled, scratching the back of his neck like he didn’t know what to do with the complint.
"Wait until you see this," he said, stepping toward a set of double doors on the side.
He opened them, and I gasped. It wasn’t just a closet. It was a wardrobe kingdom. Rows of clothes stretched on forever, all lined up in perfect color order. Jackets, crisp shirts, sneakers that probably cost more than my dad’s car.
I whispered, "Oh my God. The Chronicles of Narnia."
Ren laughed again...softer this ti, and
grabbed a simple white shirt and a pair of black joggers.
He tugged them on right in front of , and I had to force my eyes up so I wouldn’t make a fool of myself.
When he turned back, he was smiling that slightly crooked smile that ruined . "I already told Mrs. Alvarez to make sothing for us. She cooks better than anyone I know."
"Alright," I managed, biting my lip to stop myself from blurting marry right now.
He sat on the edge of his bed, looking at in a way that made my cheeks red. "Honestly... thanks for coming, June."
My eyes kept flicking to the tall mirror in the corner. Every ti he wasn’t looking, I glanced at my reflection like, girl, breathe, fix your face, stop staring at his mouth.
"Would you like to see the music room?" he asked gently.
I nodded too fast. "Yeah, sure."
"Don’t be nervous," he added with a smile, his voice a little teasing now. "Feel free. I don’t bite."
Oh my God. You can bite any day, I thought. If only he could read minds. I forced out a polite smile instead. "Right. Good to know."
He led past the wardrobe, to another door I hadn’t even noticed. He opened it, and a narrow staircase led down like so secret passage.
"What even is this? Don’t tell you’re trying to kidnap ." I whispered, following him down.
The mont I stepped inside, I gasped out loud.
It was stunning.
A wide underground space, lit softly from above. A glossy black grand piano sat in the center. Guitars rested on stands against the wall, a set of drums nearby, and sheets of music scattered across the floor like soone had spilled their heart all over it.
Ren bent down to scoop up the ss of paper on the floor, hair falling into his face. "Sorry," he murmured, almost shy. "I was in all night trying to write a song."
God. Him being a little awkward? Ten tis hotter than him being perfect.
"I did write one," I said, blurting before my brain could stop .
He glanced up, curious. "Really?"
"Yeah." My mouth went dry, but I forced the words out anyway. "It’s called... Kiss."
And the second the words left my mouth, my brain went shit shit shit.
Why did I call it that? Why not Stars or SumrNights or literally anything that didn’t sound like begging him to make out with ?
What if he thinks I ant kiss, Ren, right now, ruin against this piano?
He turned slowly, like he could listen to my thoughts with papers dangling from his hand. "You say?"
I held his gaze, praying my voice didn’t crack, cleared my throat, forcing my grin to stay cocky instead of desperate. "That’s the title of the song is Kiss."
Ren’s mouth twitched... not in his usual angel-boy smile, but a crooked one. A little dangerous. Like he knew exactly where my brain went.
"Ohhhhhh," he said, chuckling low, like he couldn’t tell if I was ssing with him or not. "Thetitle."
And all I could think was: If he leaned in right now, I wouldn’t even pretend to stop him.
Ren finally set the papers down on the piano, then slid into the seat.
"Alright," he said, patting the space beside him. "Let see what you’ve got."
I sat, trying not to die from the fact that our knees brushed. My phone screen lit up as I pulled up my Notesapp, handed the phone nervously before I could overthink.
"Don’t laugh," I warned. "I wrote this at, like, 3 a.m. while eating Doritos and listening to DojaCat. I was in my feelings."
He arched a brow, clearly already amused. "Doritos-fueled inspiration. I’m intrigued."
He sat on the couch, scrolling through the notes app with those long fingers that definitely shouldn’t be allowed to touch a screen like that.
I stood there like an idiot, trying not to think about those fingers on instead.
His eyes scanned the words. Then...he widened his eyes and straight up laughed.
"Oh my God," I groaned, covering my face. "You’re actually laughing. I knew it. I should’ve deleted it and pretended I had amnesia."
"No, no, wait," he said quickly, grinning so wide as his dimple popped. "I’m not laughing at you. I swear. It’s just... it’s so..."
He glanced back at the screen, reading aloud: "’Kiss like you’ll ruin , like tomorrow doesn’t exist, like you’re starving and I’m the al. Your lips are gravity, pulling where I shouldn’t go.’"
He choked on his own laugh. "June. This sounds like. Like your Webnovelsmutdraft ."
"Excuse you! That line is deep," I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. "It was 3.a.m. Besides, a horny teen did write it. Spoiler alert: ."
He lost it again, shaking his head, his curls falling into his face. "You’re...wow. Honest. I like that."
I peeked at him through my fingers. "You’re supposed to say it’s genius. That I’m a lyrical mastermind. That Taylor Swift could never."
He smirked, handing the phone back. "You might not be Taylor... but you’re definitely fearless. And that’s more important."
My stomach actually flipped. Fearless?Sure.
anwhile, my brain was screaming: kiss kiss kiss like you’ll ruin .
"Okay, first of all, at least I have material," I shot back. My thigh brushed his, and I didn’t move. "Second, it’s supposed to be dramatic. It’s a love song."
"Mm." He tapped a finger on his thigh like he was considering it, but that smile stayed. "You sure it’s not a lust song?"
Oh My God.
My brain went: Say sothing chill, June..
Keep it cool.
What ca out of my mouth was: "What if it’s both?"
I wanted to crawl under the piano and die. Or kiss him till the world ended.
Both felt equally valid.
Ren glanced at , and smirked. "Yeah, so... we can’t actually use this for the school performance."
I nearly choked. "Why not?!"
He arched a brow. "Because, June, it sounds like you’re auditioning for Pornhub: The Musical."
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