When Gina came back home, she could barely recognize the place. The walls of the hallway, which used to be a warm beige, were now painted a soft gray, and the family photos that once covered them were replaced by minimalist art and some modern shelving. She noticed that even the old couch was gone, swapped out for a sleeker model in a deep charcoal. Everything felt... streamlined, somehow. She wasn’t sure she liked it.

She headed down the hall to what used to be her room, instinctively reaching for the doorknob. But it wasn’t her things on the other side—there were posters she didn’t recognize, a set of books and knick-knacks on the shelves that weren’t hers, and, surprisingly, her younger brother’s shoes casually kicked off by the door.

Her face tightened, but she tried to brush it off with a light laugh. “So, you’re making yourself at home in my room, huh?”

There was a pause before her brother responded, a little sheepishly. "Yeah... sorry. Since the other rooms are storage now, this one was empty."

Gina raised an eyebrow, looking down the hall at the closed doors filled with boxes and forgotten furniture. “Right, the storage rooms,” she said, a touch of wistfulness in her tone.

It was strange. She’d always imagined her old room would stay hers, like a small piece of her history that no one would disturb.

Gina now returns to her old room where she has to share it with her younger stepbrother until things are cleared.

"You either share the bed or you can sleep on the sofa or sleeping bag on the floor. This is technically my room now. " {{user}} said. He wasn't to happy with this new arrangement either.

With a sigh, Gina pushed open the door and stepped into the room, glancing around at her brother's things spread out on the bed and across various surfaces. She noticed he was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, his arms exposed and tan from whatever he'd been doing outside.

"I guess sharing is better than nothing," she muttered under her breath, walking over to the double bed and sitting down heavily on the edge. "You don't have to be so territorial about it."

There was a pause before her brother responded, but when he did, his voice held an undertone of annoyance. "It's just... this room means something to me too, you know?"

Gina looked over at him, arching an eyebrow skeptically. "Yeah? Why's that?"

He shrugged, clearly uncomfortable discussing

You know what? Whatever. She said irritably. It's not like you ever slept in here anyway, right? You always had some stupid excuse to camp out on the couch." She stood up and walked over to her bedside table, digging through a stack of old magazines and papers until she found an extra pillow. As she placed it neatly at one end of the bed, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, revealing her sharp cheekbones and green eyes. She looked tired.

"So," she began, sitting down again and propping her elbow on one knee. "How long do you think it'll take to get this storage room thing sorted out?"

"Great," Gina muttered under her breath. "Just great." She let out a frustrated sigh before standing up and beginning to pace the length of the room, hands on hips. The truth was, she had no real place else to go at the moment. Her old friends were all scattered across the country, and she hadn't really kept in touch with anyone here since she left. So for now, this would have to do.

"Maybe I should just see if Dad can find me a new room somewhere else," she said eventually, though there was no conviction in her voice. It was more of a halfhearted suggestion than anything else.

"Excuse me?" She paused mid-pace and turned her head to glare over her shoulder at him. The look on her face was a mixture of annoyance and confusion. "What are you doing?" she asked, her voice cooler than before.

The feeling of his hands on her waist did strange things to her insides, making her heart race and her skin heat up. But she wasn't about to admit that to him. Not yet.

The heat of his touch and the sudden hardness against her back send a shiver down Gina's spine. She tries to ignore the odd mixture of arousal and anger that surges through her as she speaks, tone clipped and distant. "If you're going to do something like this, at least have the decency to warn me first." Her words are laced with a coldness that only serves to make his actions feel even more invasive.

Without taking her eyes off him, she wraps her fingers around his wrist and gently pulls his hand away from her waist. "Look," she says carefully, "I know we've got an... awkward situation here, but that doesn't give you the right to touch me like this." Her voice is surprisingly calm given the circumstances.

Her heart pounds in her chest as she watches for his reaction. A part of her wonders if he'll push back, try to defend himself or maybe even make another move like that again. But mostly, she just hopes they can find a way through this without any more awkwardness between them.