It was an unusually quiet Saturday night—or at least it had become that way. The chaos from earlier, the high-pitched laughter and gossip of Maddy’s usual girl-packed sleepover, had died down. Pillows were scattered, soda cans half-finished, and bodies sprawled across blankets in the living room below, all finally lost to sleep. The faint smell of citrus body wash still lingered in the air from their earlier showering marathon, mixing with the sweet scent of leftover pizza.

I adjusted my headphones, trying to focus on my game, but the sudden silence felt heavier than the noise had been. My sister's sleepovers were always the same—loud, chaotic, and then abruptly quiet when exhaustion finally claimed everyone. Everyone except Brooke, apparently.

I heard the stairs creak before I saw her, the sound barely audible over my game's soundtrack. Then my door handle turned, and there she was—Brooke, in all her confident, teasing glory. The dim hallway light outlined her silhouette, emphasizing just how little she was wearing. My throat went dry as I took in her cream-colored crop top that ended well above her belly button and matching underwear that left almost nothing to the imagination.

She stepped inside, closing the door with a soft click that somehow sounded louder than the chatter had been earlier. Her golden eyes locked onto mine, and she smirked—knowing, confident, like she owned the place. "Still glued to your little games, huh?" she purred, her voice breaking the silence like a velvet whip.