SCREAM MY NAME, AUNTY

Bella's Pov~

My marriage was running on autopilot.

Wake up. Eat. Scroll online. Walk the dog. Sleep. Repeat.

I took a deep breath, fixed my hair, and walked toward the door.

And then I saw him.

Jack.

My cheap sister had made him come over because this place was closer to his university, especially now that my husband was away for business shit as usual 

Except this wasn't the Jack I remembered.

A grown man stood on my doorway.

Tall. Broad shoulders. Muscles filling out his shirt like it was tailored around him. A trimmed goatee. A strong jawline. Eyes darker, deeper  like they carried stories he hadn't told yet. His presence filled the space before he even spoke.

"Aunty Bella..." 

he said, his voice deeper, thicker, warmer. The kind that vibrated low in your chest.

My breath caught.

For a moment, I forgot how to speak.

This couldn't be the boy who used to run around leaving Lego blocks everywhere. This wasn't the child who clung to his mother's dress at gatherings.

This was a man.

A very handsome man.

"Hey, Jack..." I finally managed. "Wow. You've grown. You look... mature."

Understatement of the year.

He stepped forward and hugged me lightly from the side.

My body stiffened  not from discomfort, but from the shock of physical contact I hadn't felt in too long. He smelled warm, clean, and manly. Something like leather and soap.

"Thank you for letting me stay, Aunty," he said softly. "I was scared to ask."

"Scared? Why would you be scared?" I forced a smile. "I don't bite."

Not the best choice of words.

His smile was slow, grateful... almost shy. 

"I just really appreciate it."

I nodded quickly, stepping back.

"Drop your bags here. The butlers will take them."

"My room?"

he asked, eyes bright.

"Yes. Your room."

Another lie. I hadn't prepared anything but the moment I saw him standing there, something inside me shifted.

I rode the elevator down, gave the butler fast instructions, and returned to the living room where Jack stood, hands on the couch, eyes roaming the house with awe.

His scent had already spread into the air, warm and masculine.

Something about it made my stomach tighten... something deep and unfamiliar stirring.

"So..." I said, crossing my legs subconsciously as I sat. "What's your major?"

He talked. I nodded. But my mind wasn't following the words, it followed the movement of his lips, the curve of his throat, the way his voice settled low.

I was losing it.

"You can stay here as long as you want," I said before thinking.

He looked stunned. And I'm grateful. And something else I couldn't place.

"Thank you... Bella," he said softly.

Not Aunty.

Bella.

It was ridiculous, but that tiny shift made my heart skip.

We talked until the chef brought dinner. We ate. We laughed. He blushed a few times, and I pretended not to notice.

When he finally went to bed, closing his door gently behind him,