Chapter 1: The Ache No One Will Touch

My skin was crawling with that old, desperate ache again—and Melissa just turned her back on me.

The feeling gnawed at me, sharp and raw, as I watched Melissa storm down the hall, her ponytail swinging with each angry step. My chest tightened, and I clenched my fists in my pockets, fighting the urge to chase her down the hall and beg her to look back. The urge felt so raw, it almost hurt.

Then, out of nowhere, a wave of comments flashed across my vision, like a busted pop-up window on a cheap laptop:

[In those old-school romance novels, the guy’s always obsessed with the toxic girl. Can’t you see your aunt is practically dying for you?]

[No wonder Aunt Rachel goes dark. The young man she raised herself—who she can’t even bring herself to touch—ends up cutting her off for some heartless girl.]

[Isn’t the main guy just asking for trouble? If he used even half his tricks for seducing the toxic girl on his aunt, she’d be spoiling his skin hunger syndrome in no time...]

[Waiting for that late-night bonus chapter—locked doors, no lights. Aunt Rachel’s been holding it together for years—no regular guy could keep up. Alex, you’re gonna black out, just watch, lol...]

My sneakers squeaked on the polished floor as I came to a halt, blinking in confusion. I glanced over my shoulder at the woman behind me, her silhouette framed by sunlight slanting through the office blinds. She was all business, fingers flying across the keyboard. I hesitated in the doorway, torn between chasing Melissa and running back to the one person who never let me down.

I swallowed hard and blurted out, "Aunt Rachel, do you... ever think about me? Like, really think about me?"