Clarity was better. "I'll be gone in the morning." I said quietly. It was sometime between two and three am. We both sat, lost in our own thoughts, my body shamelessly yearning for his comfort, when I'd just broken his heart. I kept sobbing quietly cause there was no stopping the tears that stemmed from a place of pain and guilt. Three times, three solid times, I stopped myself from lurching at his feet. I wanted to be held by him, but even though the distance between us, physically, was so small, we were more than miles apart emotionally. What terrified me more than the look on his face was what was going through his mind. Emma has caught the attention of the playboy in school, who happened to be the sexiest bully, and her Stepbrother.... They battle webs of secrets and lies, from friends and family, and finally, their own ego and desires. Chase wants to be Emma's last 'Goodnight' and her first 'Good morning', so does Kevin. Can he battle the insane attraction she has for Kevin, whom she had unfinished business with? Will Chase throw in the towel and let the rich tech guy swoon his girl? Will Emma ever forgive Chase's betrayal and indifference? Are their issues even solvable? Find out in the fast paced Falling For My Stepbrother 1
Emma's POV
"Are you sure about that?" I asked my mom as soon as she flashed her diamond ring in my face.
She's been head over heels in love with her new man, and while they get on my nerves sometimes, especially on the days I caught them making out in the living room, one thing I can't deny is the fact that they are good together.
"Yes honey." She replied beaming. "What's wrong?" Mom looked concerned, she probably sensed that I wasn't so cool with it, but I didn't want to be the party pooper.
"Oh no. Don't get me wrong. I just wanted to make sure that you are certain about it." I replied to her. "Besides, is it an old people's thing to not propose in public. Why did he slip the ring under the duvet?" I teased her.
"Please!" She said, laughing. Before Mark, my soon to be step dad, it's been a really long while since I saw my mom so happy. She was a workaholic. A lifestyle I think she picked up after my dad.
It was a great save from alcohol, but I still didn't have her to myself, it was all work, then Mark came along.
"So what's next?" Do I get to be on your train?" I asked.
She seemed so eager to laugh at every single thing. That probably is what happiness feels like.
I hope I get to experience it someday.
"You know that's a given." She replied.
I wasn't expecting that. I know it was a little delusional of me to think it was all a joke, but some part of me really wished it was.
I needed my mom!
Her marriage to Mark was going to mean a lot.
Mark is a great guy, but I'd rather we stayed like this. I don't ever want anyone else to hurt my mom the way dad did. He broke her so bad, she could not help it.
Our life wasn't so great afterwards, but it was at least drama free.
Mark, who owns a chain of stores, one of which my mom operated, started visiting more often, and not just for business sake.
In the beginning, it was nice that she came back from work less grumpy. Or that she started staying out a little later, giving me a itsy-bitsy little bit of freedom.
Then she brought back leftovers, which were far more classy than the veggies we always had for dinner.
I was excited and wished that whatever was driving change in this direction never stopped.
Then she started coming home with my own pack. I knew she couldn't afford that from her salary, and that was where the suspicion started setting in.
I mean, it was great that I could finally relate to all the great foods the girls at school always talked about, but I had my mom less.
Mom was home less frequently, fortunately or unfortunately, it was also around that time that a new neighbor moved in with her kids, both about my age.
Kayla made the first move. "Hi, I'm Kayla, he's Kevin." She broke into my thoughts on one of those days when I stood in the hallway, hoping no one saw me while I gawked at how toned 'he' was. It had always been 'he', now I knew his name, I could call him by his name in my dreams. Shamelessly, I was enjoying the fact that he was stealing my dreams and that I said everything I ever wanted to say to him in real life there.
"Oh. Uhm. Hi, Kay, Kayla." I stuttered dumbly after she snuck up on me. Her voice clearly betrayed that she found it amusing. She was seconds away from ripping at the seams.
"I'll tell him you fancy him. Some yeast to his ego that is already far off the roof." She gave an eye roll and stalled off. She was a very attractive girl. For a second, she made me wish I was into women. I'd have all that beauty to myself, till my eyes caught Kevin again. I instantly unwished it.
He was a Greek God in the form of a high school kid.
"Oh, and he takes your classes too." Kayla turned back and said when she was already within his earshot. Kevin turned back immediately and looked at who Kayla was referring to.
Determined to not let him see me, I turned back and ran back into the house.
I'm not proud of the last bit of memory I have from that morning, but the story is really incomplete without it.
Mom always had the decency to not be in the same space I was when she and Mark were on their never ending calls they made when Mark was out of town.
This time around, I ran inside determined not to let Kevin see who his stalker was.
Mom was clothless, stark naked. I wished that was all. She was on a video call with Mark, and trust me when I say she had more clothes on than he did.
I immediately ran back out, screaming.
This time around, Kevin and Kayla ran towards me. With each step he took, I saw his thighs contract and relax, his hair toddling in the breeze, and his eyes looking for who just made the eerie sound in the ever quiet hallway. They had gotten really close before I remembered that I had to have something to tell them. Stupid me!
I can't say anything about mom, never, that was between her and I...
"Are you alright?" He asked. The moment he opened his mouth, I wished he took mine in his. My hormones were rioting and running wild. Kayla, who understood, stood behind him, laughing at the exchange.
I was too embarrassed, already reddening in the cheeks.
Kevin put his hands on my shoulder and held my face in one hand. "I asked if you are alright. You screamed really loud." He repeated.
"Sorry." It's the only thing I could utter. My mind was blank.
Emily never imagined herself caught between not one, but three irresistible alphas. After Damon, her first love, broke her heart to protect his power, she swore off the dangerous, possessive world of werewolves. But when she's forced back into his life, Emily finds herself tangled not just with him-but with two other powerful men who have their own dark reasons for wanting her by their side. Damon, the ruthless billionaire who rejected her but now won't let her go, is determined to make her his. Then there's Adrian, the brooding, enigmatic alpha who sees through her defenses and ignites a fire she can't deny. And finally, there's Lucas, the charming rogue with a deadly smile, who promises her freedom if only she'll join his pack instead. Each man claims a piece of her heart, each drawing her into their own seductive, dangerous world. But Emily has a rule: no one owns her-not even the alphas who'd burn down their kingdoms to keep her. As rivalries, dark secrets, and brutal betrayals threaten to tear their world apart, Emily must decide: will she give herself to one, or will she defy every rule in the pack and choose them all? In a world of alphas, she's about to prove that one woman's heart is wild enough to conquer them all.
My legs grew extremely weak and I slumped to the floor. "Help." I yelled out to no one exactly. The one person I could trust in this crowd was the one killing me slowly. My consciousness sliped away from me gradually. The last thing I saw right before shutting my eyes close was Vance holding Nadia close, while I slowly wasted away. Talia's happily ever after ended abruptly as she couldn't satisfy Vance and he took a liking to her best friend, who is also her brothers mate. She is caught in a Web of conspiracy and pays the highest price, her life. But that is not all for her... Talia's rebirth in another body is the beginning of her second chance at life, love and Revenge. She has to go through fire and ice and has to do that as soon as possible, always being between a rock and a hard place. Would Talia be able to figure out her way with almost no memory of her past life and in very close contact with her enemies? Would she ever find love and learn to trust anyone? Find out in Her Moonlit Revenge.
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
After two years of marriage, Kristian dropped a bombshell. "She's back. Let's get divorced. Name your price." Freya didn't argue. She just smiled and made her demands. "I want your most expensive supercar." "Okay." "The villa on the outskirts." "Sure." "And half of the billions we made together." Kristian froze. "Come again?" He thought she was ordinary—but Freya was the genius behind their fortune. And now that she'd gone, he'd do anything to win her back.
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."