My First Love Died, Now My Step Uncle Wants Me-Chapter 6: Memories Intentionally Forgotten

A dangerous atmosphere closed in, bit by bit. Nina Wynn felt the air grow suffocating.

Her chest felt tight. She desperately wanted to back away, but her back was pressed hard against the wall. There was nowhere to retreat.

But Caleb Rhodes had no intention of letting her go.

His tall shadow drew closer and closer, almost pressing against her body.

She could only clutch the rusty pipe on the wall, her eyelashes lowered, not daring to look at him.

The dim light hid the unnatural flush on her face, revealing only her alluring, crimson lips.

Caleb Rhodes’s gaze fell on her damp hair. His tone was cold. "Who are you hiding from, living in a place like this?"

He was already very close. His tall shadow completely enveloped Nina Wynn, trapping her like a net from which she could not escape.

Nina Wynn was terribly dizzy and had no strength in her body. Because Caleb Rhodes was so close, her legs began to tremble uncontrollably.

"Speak!"

Nina Wynn parted her lips. "Uncle Caleb, I..."

Suddenly, her vision went black. Losing all support, she slumped forward.

’She fainted?’

As Caleb Rhodes caught her in his arms, he realized her body temperature was alarmingly high.

He frowned, bent down, and lifted her into his arms.

When Nina Wynn woke up, she found herself surrounded by pitch-black darkness. There wasn’t a single point of light.

She subconsciously thought she was in her own bed. Lifting a hand, she touched something both soft and firm, with the smooth texture of leather.

’A sofa? A seat?’

Suddenly, a dim light flickered on overhead, accompanied by a low, cool voice. "You’re awake?"

Nina Wynn snapped her head up and looked into a pair of cold, desolate eyes. The darkness in their depths threatened to pull her in.

The blood in her veins seemed to freeze instantly. Nina Wynn was completely stunned. "Un-Uncle Caleb..."

’Why am I alone with Caleb Rhodes in a pitch-black car?’

’Where’s that guy who was with him, Willson Lawson or whatever his name was?’

As if reading her mind, Caleb Rhodes said flatly, "You left something at the coffee shop. When I came to bring it to you, I saw you had fainted."

He glanced out the car window, pressed a button, and the window slid down a fraction. The heavy rain outside immediately pelted in.

"The car broke down. We might have to wait a while for someone to get here."

Perhaps because of her fever, the gust of cold wind made Nina Wynn shiver.

Caleb Rhodes narrowed his eyes, his gaze landing on her lips, which were flushed and glistening from the fever.

His voice was extremely faint. "Cold?"

Nina Wynn felt the urge to flee.

But the car was only so big. No matter which way she shifted, the faint scent of cedarwood still clung to her like invisible claws.

Utterly suffocating.

Another gust of cold, rain-laced wind blew in. Nina Wynn couldn’t help but shudder, whispering, "N-No, I’m not cold..."

Her wretched appearance made Caleb Rhodes frown imperceptibly. He took a jacket from the passenger seat and handed it to Nina Wynn. "This is all I have. Wear it for now. The car picking us up should be here soon."

Nina Wynn hesitated, unsure if she should take it.

Caleb Rhodes raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"

It was a simple sound, yet it carried an intense pressure that made it hard for Nina Wynn to breathe.

She had no choice but to reach out and take it. "Thank you, Uncle Caleb!"

Her hand accidentally brushed against Caleb Rhodes’s.

The cool touch, like a small piece of ice, startled the feverish Nina Wynn.

But Caleb Rhodes was staring at her, so she could only brace herself and accept the jacket. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Another blast of cold wind and rain swept in, and Nina Wynn couldn’t help but tremble again.

Caleb Rhodes frowned. "Put it on!"

His voice was extremely soft, but it held a coldness that permitted no defiance.

Three years had passed, and the aura of authority about Caleb Rhodes had only grown more pronounced. Sometimes, even a casual word from him felt heavy with pressure.

Nina Wynn irresistibly draped the jacket over herself.

It was indeed a bit warmer, but the jacket was saturated with Caleb Rhodes’s scent.

The memory of that afternoon three years ago sprang forth unexpectedly.

A drunken Caleb Rhodes, his scorching body, his bloodshot eyes, his forceful and domineering lips—all those deliberately forgotten, secret, and forbidden memories flooded her mind in an instant.

Nina Wynn’s body began to tremble uncontrollably.

It was fear, but also genuine discomfort.

Caleb Rhodes frowned and raised his hand to press the window control button.

As the sound of the wind and rain faded, the two of them were completely sealed in the small, private space. Panic flared in Nina Wynn’s heart, and she croaked, "Don’t close it!"

Caleb Rhodes seemed to realize something. He frowned, adjusted his seat, and tried to put more distance between himself and Nina Wynn.

Nina Wynn’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly.

’Is Caleb Rhodes still so averse to people getting too close? Then again, I probably don’t seem very likable like this.’

But she couldn’t worry about that now. A strong wave of dizziness washed over her, and she slowly leaned against the car door, her breathing growing rapid.

Caleb Rhodes sensed something was wrong. He leaned over and felt her forehead. The temperature was terrifyingly high.

Nina Wynn weakly lifted her eyelids and moved her parched lips. "Uncle Caleb, is there any water...?"

Only then did Caleb Rhodes see that her previously glistening lips were now dry and cracking. She looked completely listless.

Finding a small bottle of mineral water in the armrest compartment, Caleb Rhodes unscrewed the cap, but when he tried to bring it to Nina Wynn’s lips, he found she was too far away.

The car’s interior was cramped, and since he was in the front seat, he had to maneuver himself to reach her.

Being tall, he couldn’t straighten up completely and had to stoop, leaning his upper body over to bring the water to her lips.

"Take a sip."

Nina Wynn’s body was limp and strengthless. She had to drink from Caleb Rhodes’s hand. As she did, she realized half his body was hovering over her in an incredibly intimate position.

The water she hadn’t yet swallowed nearly sprayed out. Nina Wynn nervously bit her lip and instinctively looked up at Caleb Rhodes.

His heart seemed to skip a beat. Caleb Rhodes narrowed his eyes.

’This little thing looks pretty good right now. As if she’d be easy to mold and control.’

The air filled with a forbidden, secret tension, so thick with ambiguity it was startling.

Startled, Nina Wynn tried to shrink back, but her head was already against the car door. She couldn’t move.

Caleb Rhodes stared at her parched lips for a few seconds before quickly looking away. His voice was a little hoarse. "More water?"

Normally, Nina Wynn would have refused immediately. But she was so terribly parched now, it felt as if a fire was spreading up from her throat. She subconsciously grabbed Caleb Rhodes’s hand and took a few more sips.

"Thank you, Uncle Caleb."

Caleb Rhodes lightly rubbed the finger she had touched. The texture of her skin and its scorching heat seemed to linger there, as hazy and bewildering as the air in the enclosed space.

’He was by nature a cold person, with little regard even for familial bonds. Yet for some reason, this little thing always gave him a soft feeling.’

’But there’s something I don’t get,’ he mused. ’She seems to be terrified of me.’

’Am I that scary?’

He half-closed his eyes, his expression cool. "Nina Wynn, why are you afraid of me?"