Alexia's POV

I had surrounded Mia with my arm, pressing her body against mine as tightly as possible, as if she were about to escape at any moment, to fade away. Every centimeter of my skin felt hers. I mimicked her posture, with my right leg bent, my torso slightly turned, fitting together like puzzle pieces. The tip of my nose grazed her nape, having been able to sleep enveloped in the scent of her skin and the perfume of her hair.

It was the first night Mia slept at my house, and the mattress seemed to have always been reserved for her weight, to mold her shape into the contours of the memory foam and prevent the heat of her body from overwhelming me.

The sunlight filtered through the cracks from not having lowered the blinds enough the night before. And it suited her. It painted abstract patterns on her skin, illuminating shapeless sections on her shoulder, arm, and half of her face, following the rhythm of the clouds that fragmented the sun's impact on Barcelona that morning.

It was already half past twelve in the afternoon, and Mia still had her eyes closed, relaxing me with her deep breaths, moving her fingers from time to time, squeezing my wrist, probably dreaming. I had no intention of moving, less of waking her up. Was this what heaven felt like?

I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with her again, like an essence that cleansed my larynx, trachea, lungs, and bronchi. They expanded, settled, ready to forever receive the scent of peace. I was about to exhale onto the mattress, startled when the front door emitted a thud, followed by the jingling of keys colliding with the kitchen counter. My eyes flew open wide. Every muscle in my body tensed.

"...Ale?" the brunette called me, still resting in my arms. I swallowed hard. I took the opportunity to release her.

"Fuck," I thought. I had no idea what to do. Mia laughed when she saw the expression on my face.

"Why are you so nervous?" she teased. "I'm not going to get scared and run away. I mean, I gave you a handjob in a park yesterday..."

"SHHH!" I exclaimed, covering her mouth.

Mia furrowed her brow and strained her ears, trying to figure out what was causing me to act that way.

"Alexia?" a voice came from the hallway. "I can't believe this girl is still sleeping."

"It's her day off," my sister Alba replied, making me lose my breath again.

I looked at Mia with a puzzled expression, and she observed me, equally confused.

"A day off and she sleeps until the afternoon. This can't be, she shouldn't push herself so hard and be so tired. It's not healthy," the voice that I identified as my mother continued complaining.

Upon hearing these words, I sprang up from the bed like a spring. I heard my sister's footsteps heading towards my door, and Mia looked around before attempting to hide under the duvet of my bed. I quickly put on a hoodie and the door finally swung open as I searched for some pants to put on over my underwear.

Alba observed us in silence for a few seconds, her eyes wide open. First at me, then at the stranger wrapped in sheets on her sister's bed.

"Alba..." I warned, taking a step toward her and finally putting on my pants.

"Oh my god, this is way too funny..." she mocked, watching as I searched for some clothes to throw at my guest.

"Don't you dare tell mom anything, Alba, or I swear..."

"Tell me what?" a voice from the hallway interrupted.

I stood up straight instantly. I looked back. I had nowhere to hide Mia, and my sister had already seen her. My mother would find her here in less than a minute.

"Hello, mom!" I greeted with a nervous smile, trying to hide the fact that I was about to faint from embarrassment.

My mother entered the room with a curious expression on her face, circling around me to see what I was trying to cover up with my body. She looked from me to Mia and then back at me, as if trying to understand what was happening.

"Hello, dear. Who's your friend?" she asked with a teasing smile.

Mia timidly emerged from under the duvet and looked at me, searching for any sign of how to act in this situation.

"This is Mia," I said, crossing my arms visibly uncomfortable. I wished the ground would swallow me up. "Can we have this conversation in the living room?"

I tried to grab her and guide her out of my room, but she slipped away from my grip.

"Did you sleep well, Mia?" she was having fun. My mom was having fun, and Mia's face was turning into a shade of crimson, "You two woke up pretty late..."

"Y-Yes," she replied with a barely audible voice.

"You have to be careful with staying up too late. Then our routines are disrupted, and we sleep poorly for days"

"Mom!" I exclaimed.

Alba burst into laughter without any attempt to hide it.

"Come on, dear. Get dressed. We'll see you downstairs in a few minutes," she turned towards the exit. "Mia, love, you're coming to eat too, right?"

"I really don't think it's a good i..."

"Great! We'll be waiting for both of you in the living room," she interrupted, leaving both of us in disbelief.

Alba couldn't stop laughing and approached me just before following our mother.

"By the way, you've got your pants on inside out," she added with laughter.

"I'm so sorry, how embarrassing," I said as my family finally left the bedroom. Mia pressed her lips together, as if to say it didn't matter, but that it had been terrible. "You don't have to stay. My mother sometimes goes overboard."

She remained silent for a few seconds. Then, she began to get dressed. She walked slowly toward me and looked into my eyes.

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No!" I replied instantly. Mia smiled. "I don't want you to leave, I just don't want you to feel obligated to stay here."

"In that case, I'll stay for lunch."