Chapter 20: Interference Patterns

Eavesdrop

Yenni stood quietly in the hallway, eyes narrowed, ears tuned.

She hadn’t meant to overhear. Not exactly.

But Carla’s voice carried just enough through the cracked bedroom door.

“I’m serious, Eli. If I hadn’t stepped in early, she would have found a way to push herself between us.”

“I know,” Eli replied softly. “I’ve seen it.”

“You’ve been too nice.” Carla’s voice was sharper now. “Don’t mistake her sweetness for harmlessness.”

“She’s not malicious,” Eli said.

“No,” Carla agreed, voice cooling. “She’s determined.”

Yenni’s chest tightened.

Breakfast Games

The next morning, Yenni arrived early with muffins and fresh-cut fruit, balancing the tray with practiced ease.

She found Eli already at the table, shirtless, sipping coffee while Mama Caceres moved around the kitchen humming softly. Carla sat across from him, still in one of his oversized t-shirts, her hair messy but radiant.

Yenni offered a bright smile. “Brought breakfast.”

“Gracias, mija,” Mama said warmly.

“Always taking care of us,” Eli added, voice kind but neutral.

Yenni placed the tray down, letting her eyes flick briefly toward Eli’s chest—the broad shoulders, the carved lines of his chest, the heavy way his sweatpants hung against his hips even while seated. She swallowed the flutter building inside.

Her gaze shifted, involuntarily, to Carla’s body.

Even lounging casually, Carla’s figure radiated softness and fullness—hips generous, thighs thick where they pressed against the seat, her breasts rising gently beneath the loose fabric.

Eli’s eyes drifted toward Carla almost unconsciously as she shifted, his hand reaching to brush lightly against her thigh under the table.

Yenni caught that, too.

Her stomach tightened.

Contrast

She couldn’t help comparing.

Her own frame was slimmer, narrower at the hips, smaller in every place Carla and Mama carried extra softness. She knew she was attractive—lean, toned, graceful—but she couldn’t ignore how often Eli’s gaze lingered on the roundness of Carla’s body.

And, privately, she’d seen enough glimpses—those few stolen camera views in Mama’s office, the lingering embraces—to know that when Eli was inside Carla, fully inside her, it was overwhelming. For both of them.

Yenni felt her pulse quicken just thinking about it. His size was ... impossible. And somehow Carla took it all.

Would he ever want someone smaller? Would she measure up?

Underneath It All

Mama Caceres watched the silent battle unfold from the stove.

She saw the glance, the shift in Yenni’s posture, the way Carla casually rested her hand on Eli’s thigh beneath the table, staking quiet claim.

The tension wasn’t overt.

But it was thick.

And Mama felt the coil tighten inside her chest—the strange mixture of protectiveness, guilt, and dangerous curiosity she hadn’t yet fully named.

Warning

After Yenni left, Carla cornered Eli in the kitchen.

“You saw it, didn’t you?”

He nodded.

“She’s circling closer.”

“I know.”

Carla exhaled, eyes sharp. “I don’t dislike her. But don’t let her play the innocent one here. She knows what she’s doing.”

Eli stepped forward, resting his hands on her waist. “She’s not you.”

Her voice softened, but her possessiveness didn’t fade. “No. She’s not.”

His thumbs traced the curve of her hips, full and warm beneath his palms.

“She’s not Mama either,” Carla added softly, voice lowering. “And she’s certainly not both of us together.”

Eli’s throat tightened.

Carla leaned in, lips brushing his ear. “You’re mine. First. Always.”