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.
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.
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
She was a diamond covered by ashes.... King Dakota was known as the most Powerful Alpha King of all times - more powerful than any other King that had ruled from his lineage. He was cold hearted, introverted and dangerous in anger. Cursed by the Moon goddess, King Dakota had to get married to three wives all in search of a male child that would become his heir, but it was impossible as the curse would only let his wives bear she -wolves. But on a different day, the King meets a lady who offends him and as a punishment, he took her home as his fourth wife. Her name was Shilah. Shilah was a powerless wolf and as a result, was disregarded and intimidated by all. But, when she begins to do things that the King had never felt for years, he began to wonder who she really was. Slowly, she crawled her way into his icy heart and turned out to be something nobody ever expected - a storm.
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..." But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
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!”
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"