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47 || Even if it hurts
“Do you really have to go today?” I ask Calum.
He stops packing to sit on the edge of his bed. I stare down at my feet. I thought I could handle him leaving for a few days. But I haven’t been the same since Amelia talked about the test.
We will be going to the hospital this evening.
“Yeah. You know I want you to be there with me but I don’t know what to tell our parents. And you have school today.” Fuck school. He walks over to me. His hip nudges mine playfully but I don’t look up. “Baby. We can do something when I get back.”
“Okay.”
“Cathy, look at me.” I obey. His expression cracks. Without warning, he sweeps me off my feet and pulls me down with him to the bed. I straddle him. “Baby, what’s wrong? Superstar, I can’t leave if you’re this way.”
He needs to leave so he can work on his career but my b
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To Tempt My Stepbrother 48 || I dare you
Calum has not called or texted. Granted, it has only been four hours since he left but that’s too much time without a word from him. He should be in London. I could text or call him to find out instead of staring at my phone. But I was the one who walked out on him. The one who locked myself in my room and didn’t step out till he was gone.Amelia had to come pick me up. We were both late because of that. I put my phone away. It’s for the best. I can focus on Girls Code while he focuses on his music. The term is almost over anyway, he will be leaving soon to his America where he can eat fries and call football soccer.It takes me less than a minute to bring out my phone. I open my WattsApp, and my heart clenches. Calum has updated his status. He is in London. I type in a long apology in reply to his status but instead of hitting the send button, I hit delete and place my phone face down on the cafeteria table.The girls should
To Tempt My Stepbrother 49 || One less problem
The test came out negative.One less problem for me to worry about.Curled in bed, I hug a pillow to my chest, acting like it’s Calum and we are cool. I have been in here since I had lunch with Dani and my dad. They think I’m having a lazy Saturday. But the truth is, Calum still hasn’t called or texted to check in. Jackson hasn’t either. I wish he would so we could get his shit over with as soon as possible.What does he want?My thoughts wander to the possibilities. Fear races down my spine, and I clench my eyes shut. Jackson can’t ask for money. He can’t ask for sex. He can’t ask me to give Calum up because I won’t. I can’t do that to him.How do I know for sure that he knows a thing? He could be bluffing for all I know, fishing for information to use against me.What will he ask for?The bed vibrates. I roll over in search of my phone and anno
To Tempt My Stepbrother 50 || Talk to me
Calum twists in my arms so he’s facing me. He peers down at me with an intensity that strips me of my confidence. I fake a smile but he clicks his tongue. He sees through my bullshit. Telling him about Jackson won’t solve the problem. It only means two more worried people.“Is everything okay, Cathy?”“Why won’t it be?”“The least you owe me is the truth, Cathy. Don’t lie to me. I know something is up.”My arms stretch out to hug Calum but he keeps me at a distance. My lower lip trembles. I think I’m about to cry again. He runs a hand through his hair. I need to say something. Why am I not talking?“I’m here because of you,” he murmurs, his frustration evident. “Scott is mad I left, there’s so much work to be done but I’m here because I know my baby is not happy.”“Cal,” I whisper.
To Tempt My Stepbrother 51 || Mission accomplished
On Sunday morning when Calum is still asleep, I sneak into the bathroom to call Jackson. The call rings uninterruptedly for the first time, and the second time, it goes straight to voicemail. I bite my fingernails while pacing the bathroom.He might be in church with his family for morning mass. Our parents left already. Jackson’s parents oversee the Bible study group. He attends church for their sake.I dump the phone on the sink and splash water on my face. One minute later, I’m still staring at myself in the mirror.What will Jackson do?Turning my back to the mirror, I scroll through our interactions from yesterday. There’s an unread text from Jackson. The content causes a sob of relief to escape me. I clap a hand over my mouth and breathe. I’m safe now, but what happens next time?I reread the message.Jackson: you are lucky Regina showed upSo it was all about sex for h
To Tempt My Stepbrother 52 || Our only crime
Jackson smirks. He holds up his phone to show me his call log. My name is at the top of the list. If he called me, I didn’t hear it. I walk away before he talks, knowing he will follow behind. He is a bloody asshole.“I figured you would be in there since you weren’t at the cafeteria,” he says. When we are distances away from Calum’s class, I turn around. My foot taps into the floor, and my nose wrinkles in disgust. Jackson’s facade cracks. “I see what this is, Cathy.”“No, you don’t, Jackson. You don’t see anything.” Steeling my gaze, I place a hand on my hip. I should never have showed any weakness. If he had any real evidence of us, he would have shown it. “I was having troubles after the last class so I stayed back for an explanation. That’s what teachers are paid to do, right?”“Right, not fuck their students.”“You&rsqu
To Tempt My Stepbrother 53 || Apologise to her
CALUMOn Friday morning, I leave for school without my girlfriend. Of course I send her a text but switch off my phone before she replies. She’s keeping secrets from me. Doing this is only fair.I’m at the stoplight when I remember to switch on my phone. And it beeps with a text from Amelia to let me know she’s in school but Jackson isn’t. She is helping me because Cathy won’t let me in. How does she intend to handle Jackson? By taking up his offer of fucking him? It won’t end there. It will only be the start of more ludicrous demands from the grumpy ex.My blood boils with the same intensity it did when I first saw that text. I put a lid on my anger and drive into the parking lot. Why didn’t she say anything to me? Her friends knew, so why was I excluded? I wait a few minutes in the car to calm myself. My phone pings on the passenger seat. I grab the folder and the phone, and edit the car.There&r
To Tempt My Stepbrother 54 || Kiss and cuddle
Calum is home late. I haven’t stopped thinking about him since he asked me out of his office. Does he know about Jackson?I saw Jackson leave Calum’s office. Jackson asked to speak to me after school but I didn’t wait. I left with Amelia because Calum couldn’t be bothered about his girl.Faint footsteps break through my thoughts. I pull the cover over my head as the footsteps stop in front of Calum’s door.I’m in his room.The door opens and a light switch goes off. His steps slow. Something drops to the chair, I assume it’s his briefcase but I don’t check to confirm. The bed dips with his weight. I freeze, afraid to meet his gaze.He taps my knee. “Cathy?”“In here,” I reply from under the cover.“What’s up? How did you get in here?”I pull the cover to my chin and reply, “You gave me your keys, r
To Tempt My Stepbrother 55 || Cover
I frown at the picture on the laptop screen. In kind words, it’s ugly. I adjust the laptop on the pillow resting on my leg. Calum’s shoulder digs into mine as he awaits my final answer. “Nope,” I say.“No?” he replies. He taps a button on his keyboard and another picture appears. “How about this?” We are trying to pick out a picture for the cover of Calum’s upcoming single—Tangled sheets. I haven’t heard the final version. He claims it’s not ready. If he hadn’t looked so cute when he said it, I might not have believed him.“This is okay,” I say. It’s the picture of a girl but her face is hidden by the thick volume of her hair sprawled over the pillow. It depicts a line from the song’s refrain. Tangled hair spread over tangled sheets. “You don’t sound so happy with the choice. You don’t like it?” Calum says. He pulls the laptop to himself and scrolls through more pictures. “I think it’s okay. I don’t know. Scott likes the first.” “The ugly one?” I blurt out.Calum frowns. “It’s n
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