Before I can retreat, another breathy sound fills the air.
“Oliver… yes, right there?—”
Oh God.
My brother and his girlfriend are having sex in the living room.
There’s no time to look away as Oliver rises from the couch with Rina’s legs locked around his waist. I catch a glimpse of his naked backside as he carries her toward the window.
My eyes!
My eyes!
For the love of all that’s holy—my eyes!
I stand there clutching the strap of my bag like it might shield me from further auditory and visual trauma.
Options race through my head.
I could sprint to my room and pray they’re too distracted to notice. Based on what I’m seeing and hearing, that scenario seems likely.
Or I could carefully back into the elevator and pretend this never happened. Although that will be hard.
No pun intended.
More porn-soundtrack noises cut through my mental gymnastics, and heat floods my face until it feels like my cheeks are on fire.
“I’m going to need bleach for my ears,” I mutter.
Unfortunately, the hallway to my room would require passing directly through the splash zone.
And I’m not about to do that.
I take one cautious step in retreat. Another moan confirms I’m making the right decision by getting the hell out of here. With a spin, I lunge for the elevator button, jabbing it half a dozen times. “Come on, come on,” I whisper, glancing over my shoulder, as if Oliver and Rina might pop up and say hello any second.
As soon as the doors open, relief rushes through me, and I dive into the car. The second the metal slides shut, the sex noises are mercifully cut off.
Silence has never sounded so amazing.
With a racing heart, I sag against the wall, my bag clutched to my chest. After a beat, the absurdity of the situation catches up to me, and laughter breaks loose before I can stop it.
Of course, the very first day I start to feel even remotely like myself again, the universe decides to greet me with a very pointed, live-action reminder that everyone else is getting laid.
Except me.
The pregnant yet aggressively celibate one.
I scrub a hand over my face, another bark of laughter slipping out. As the elevator descends, the chuckles fade and something quieter takes its place. My brother has finally found his other half. Not only is he happy, he’s content in a way I’ve never seen before. And from all outward appearances, so is Rina.
I love that for them.
I really do.
But there’s a small, selfish part of me that wishes that kind of contentment and belonging didn’t feel so far out of reach for me.
The elevator slows as I press my hand to my stomach again.
“One thing at a time,” I whisper. “Job first. Baby. Then… I guess we’ll see.”
