The forbidden love with stepbrother

Keira POV

I open my wardrobe and started packing all my clothes and my belongings from my room, as I put all my stuff in my suitcase. I was done packing, and was about stepping out when I sited the picture dad and I took a few years back when I was ten. I toke the picture and put it in my suitcase.

As I took one last sweeping glance around my room, memories dancing in my mind, I suddenly heard Mom's voice floating up from downstairs. "Keira, are you ready?" she called, the hint of urgency threading through her tone. "Coming, Mom!" I replied, closing my bedroom door with a soft click, a final farewell to my cozy haven.

I bounded down the stairs, my suitcase trailing behind me like an eager puppy. Outside, Mom's car was waiting, its familiar presence both comforting and strange. I heaved my suitcase into the boot, then slid into the passenger seat, feeling the cool leather beneath me as Mom turned the key in the ignition, and we began our journey. As we drove off, I gazed out the window, watching the trees blur past like green fireworks and the river sparkle in the sunlight.

Feeling inspired, I pulled out a novel, the pages whispering secrets of faraway lands. "What are you reading?" Mom asked, curiosity piqued. I didn't respond, getting lost in the world of my book. "Just tell me! I'm not wearing my glasses!" she insisted, her voice teasing yet tinged with genuine curiosity. Still, I remained quiet, content in my literary escape. "Are you really not going to talk to me?" Mom pressed, her hands steady on the wheel.

"This isn't easy for me either." I could sense the weight of her words, the tension in the air. "Sometimes, you feel like you're just trying to level up in life, but that same pesky monster keeps blocking your path," Mom mused, glancing over at me for a moment. "But one day, when your hit points are all used up, you might just find you're given an extra chance at life, just like that!" I turned to her, my eyes narrowing.

"Mom, enough with the video game metaphors! I'm not ten anymore." My voice was sharper than I intended, irritation bubbling to the surface. "Well, think of it this way: it's like opening a new book, starting a fresh chapter. Better? Damn it, Keira! Now we'll be the main characters of our own story!" Mom's voice rose with enthusiasm, clearly trying to inject some positivity into our situation. "Your story, Mom. Mine is a thousand miles away. Now I'm stuck here all alone-just because you wanted to move into your new husband's house." The words tumbled out, heavy with frustration and the sting of leaving my friends behind.

"James and I love each other," she replied, her voice firm, as if that were the only reason I needed to understand. "I don't want to hear it!" I shot back, my anger flaring up like a match to kindling at the mention of his name. It felt like our conversation was a whirlwind, and I was caught right in the middle, unsure of how to find my way through the storm. "I love somebody too, and you didn't care!" I exclaimed, my heart feeling a little bruised as the words tumbled out.

"I didn't want to keep you from Dan and your friends," mom replied, her voice trying to soothe my hurt feelings. "Keira, you're seventeen! I'm sure you'll make friends being as nice as you are." "I'm just not in the mood right now," I mumbled, glancing out the window as we cruised along the road. "Sweetheart, St. Marie is a fantastic school. They have an amazing volleyball team! You'll be the captain in no time," she chimed, her optimism brightening the car's interior. "Don't you get it? I don't want to go to some fancy school that a stranger is paying for," I shot back, the frustration bubbling to the surface.

"He's not a stranger; he's my husband. So, you might as well get used to it," Mom said, her tone leaving no room for argument. The air grew quiet between us as we continued our journey, each lost in our own thoughts. After what felt like an eternity-about forty minutes, to be precise-we pulled up to an estate that looked like something straight out of a storybook. The neighborhood was sprinkled with beautiful houses, but one mansion in particular caught my eye. Mom parked and pressed a button on her key fob, causing the grand entrance to open with a flourish, as if welcoming us home. As we stepped out of the car, I took a moment to soak in my surroundings. The mansion loomed before me, majestic and surrounded by trees that whispered secrets in the wind. Four maids stood outside, their smiles as warm as the summer sun, waiting for us like friendly sentinels. "James, honey!" Mom called out, her face lighting up as she hurried toward him for a quick kiss. "How was the trip?" he asked, his voice smooth and inviting. "I'll tell you later," Mom replied, glancing over her shoulder at me. I seized the opportunity to open the trunk and haul out my things, but before I could manage it, a guard stepped forward, a determined look on his face.

"It's my duty," he stated firmly, standing tall, probably around his sixties if I had to guess. "No, really! I can do it myself!" I insisted, trying to wrestle my suitcase free from his grasp. "Allow me, miss," he maintained, his insistence unwavering.

"Let Martin help you," James interjected, trying to mediate our little tug-of-war. With a reluctant sigh, I relented. "Fine, you win, Martin," I said, watching him hoist my suitcase with ease and carry it inside like it was a feather. Mom and James strolled over to me, and I couldn't help but smile despite the turmoil of emotions swirling in my head. Maybe, just maybe, this new chapter wouldn't be so bad after all.