Walking into a bathroom this beautiful felt like a breath of fresh air. The unique design and aesthetic ornaments all around made it clear—this place didn’t come cheap. Caitlin couldn’t help but wonder if Daniel was renting this apartment, or if he had actually bought it outright. One glance was enough to know just how much money he had. Strangely, Caitlin started to feel small. All this time, Daniel had been staying at her modest apartment whenever they met.
How could someone like him sleep in a place that didn’t even come close to this one? Even though Dan had told her he suffered from insomnia and could only sleep well when he was with her, maybe that was a lie—just to keep her from feeling inadequate whenever they shared a bed. To Caitlin, this place looked so much cleaner, so much more comfortable.
“My cramped, dingy apartment is nothing compared to this,” she thought, a sting of insecurity creeping in.
Rather than dwell on that empty thought, she decided to shower and get dressed quickly. She couldn’t wait to see Daniel. A part of her was curious—what did he even do when he was home? After all, most of their time together had been spent at her place, and they rarely went out like a normal couple. Well, she reminded herself, what they had wasn’t exactly a typical relationship. It was transactional, built on payment. But even so, Caitlin didn’t care for long walks in the park right now.
She found him sitting at the dining table, looking utterly serious. With reading glasses perched on his nose and his gaze fixed on the laptop screen, Daniel was so focused that Caitlin froze for a second, quietly captivated. His fingers danced swiftly across the keyboard without even glancing down, lost in concentration, unaware of her presence.
He didn’t look like the usual cheerful Daniel—this version of him was calm, cool, and distant. When he finally turned and noticed her, his expression softened instantly. From cold to warm, from unfamiliar to familiar. Caitlin responded with an awkward smile. Just being invited here felt like an incredible stroke of luck. He said no one else ever came here but her—right?
“All done?” he asked, closing his laptop.
“What were you doing?” Caitlin asked curiously.
Daniel shrugged casually. “Just checking some emails. Come on, let’s go to bed,” he said, picking up his laptop and quickly locking it in a drawer.
“Now?” Caitlin murmured. The way he switched from work to sleep felt abrupt. A smooth yet effective diversion, she thought.
“We’ve gone out, we’ve eaten—what else is there?” Daniel replied lightly.
She followed him into a bedroom that felt warm and calming. It had no personal touches, yet it was still cozy. Was this really just a guest room? Why did it feel more inviting than her entire apartment? Once again, she felt a pang of distance—just from looking at it.
“Go to sleep. I’ll be in the next room. Or... would you rather come to mine?” he teased.
That snapped Caitlin out of her thoughts.
“Uh—no! Goodnight!” she exclaimed, quickly pushing Daniel out.
“You sure you don’t want to sleep in my warm embrace, Cat?”
Daniel teased again, that mischievous smile of his making Caitlin’s heart pound twice as fast. Sure, they’d shared a bed before. But now that he was saying it out loud—she was completely flustered. Especially since she wasn’t used to guys as shameless as Daniel.
“No!” she said quickly, her cheeks burning.
“Well, well, Caitlin Blossom... I didn’t know you had such a wild imagination,” Daniel chuckled as he backed away, raising his hands in mock surrender.
Caitlin covered her face with both hands and let out a small laugh. “Oh my God...”
“If you change your mind, I’m just next door,” he said. “But don’t worry—I won’t do anything unless you want me to.”
She could only offer an embarrassed smile as she gently pushed him out, afraid her face was about to catch fire.
“Go!” she urged in panic.
Daniel winked and left. Caitlin shut the door and collapsed onto the bed, yanking the blanket up over her face. Her heart still wouldn’t calm down. It was as if its pounding filled the entire room. This would’ve been perfect—if only they were real lovers. But sadly, what they had was just a sweet illusion.
“This must be the guest room. Ugh, how stupid of me to think otherwise...” She yawned again and again until she finally drifted off to sleep.
But the confusion lingered—about Daniel, about their undefined relationship, and the strange feelings that had been growing inside her lately. She was going home tomorrow. So tonight, Caitlin tried to memorize everything with a smile, even though she knew she’d cry about this one-sided love someday.
An hour later, she was startled awake by the sound of the bedroom door swinging open. Caitlin blinked, dazed, as she saw Daniel enter with a blank expression. He looked… scared. It wasn’t like him to seem this vulnerable. It felt surreal—like a dream.
“I think… I want to sleep with you tonight,” he said, just like that, crawling under the blanket and wrapping himself around her from behind, like a childhood teddy bear.
“Why?” Caitlin asked softly.
They’d shared a bed before, keeping respectful boundaries. But still—there was always that subtle spark that made her heart uneasy.
“No real reason,” Daniel murmured.
Caitlin couldn’t sleep after that. How could she, in this position? His arms around her felt too close, too real, too warm. She could feel his breath on her neck, his arms circled around her waist. How could she be mad at him for holding onto her like she was his lifeline? Daniel didn’t say another word.
But he didn’t loosen his grip, either. And for the first time, Caitlin felt the urge to return the embrace. Not because she wanted to own him. But because she understood—he was hurting, and he needed someone. Just as she was about to turn around to comfort him, Daniel began kissing her neck. That night, Caitlin was touched like someone’s real lover.
“Dan,” she whispered, overwhelmed.
“Hmm?” he looked at her, uncertain.
“I’m still a virgin.”
They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds. Then Daniel smiled. A smile that made Caitlin’s sanity slip away without warning. And then they were kissing again—deeper, more intense. Her whole body cried out to be touched. Daniel promised he’d be gentle. And he kept that promise, all through the night. Caitlin lost her virginity to someone she barely knew. It was insane. But she fell asleep in his arms, secretly wishing the sun would never rise.