Derek's point of view:I was having a dream, a strange dream. I was standing on the bank of a river, and in front of me, I saw Big fat Joe. Big fat Joe, a chubby kid who always had an evil smirk on his face. But now, he looked different. He looked terrified, his face twisted with fear.As I watched, Joe stumbled and fell into the river. The water was moving fast, and Joe struggled to keep his head above the water. He was crying for help, but nobody was around. I could see him fighting against the current, but he was losing the battle.I felt a sudden urge to save him. Without thinking twice, I jumped into the river and dived into the water. But as soon as I hit the water, I realized my mistake. The current was too strong, and my small body couldn't handle it.I struggled to keep my head above the water, trying to find Joe. I could see him in the distance, still struggling. I swam towards him, but the current was pulling us both down. I felt a surge of panic rise in my chest.
Ronnie's first person:As I drove back to the hotel, my mind was racing with thoughts about Derek. I couldn't believe what had happened between us. I had always imagined us being together forever, but now it seemed like that dream was slipping away.When I arrived at the hotel, I headed straight to my suite. I knew my mother would be waiting for me. As soon as I opened the door, I saw her sitting on the couch, her hand resting on her pregnant belly."Hey, Mom," I said, as I walked passed her, my head bent in shame. "Hey, Ronnie," she replied, her face fixed. "How was your day?""It was okay," I said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Just got a lot of stuff on my mind."We made some small talk for a few minutes before I finally asked about my stepdad."How's stepdad doing?" I asked."He's okay," my mom said, her expression clouding over. "He went out for a drink to clear his head."I knew immediately that he was upset about Derek. I could feel my heart sinking even further."Is he up
Derek's point of view:As Ronnie and I stepped out of the hospital together, we were surprised to see Jean waiting for us.He was leaning against his patrol car, striking in his cop uniform. Jean waved at us, and we both walked towards him. As we approached him, I realized that I was no longer afraid of him. Instead, I felt bold and confident."How's the head?" Jean asked me as we reached him."I've gotten better," I replied, trying to sound upbeat.There was an awkward silence between us until Ronnie excused herself, giving us some privacy."About that night—" Jean began.But I interrupted him, "It's nothing. I understand why you did that. I was expecting you would.""I hate it when people keep secrets and lies," Jean said. "Since you and Ronnie were lovers, your parents must at least know, which is why I told them.""I understand," I said, nodding my head."If you love someone, you don't hide it from the world," Jean said, his voice full of conviction.I thought about his words fo
Derek's point of view:As Ronnie and I sat on her bed, I held onto her tightly. It was a habit that we developed over time, a way to feel connected even when we were apart. But today, Ronnie seemed tense in my arms. I could feel her heart racing against my chest, and I knew that something was bothering her."What's wrong, Ron?" I asked, kissing the top of her head."I don't know," she replied softly, leaning into me. "I'm just scared.""Scared of what?" I prompted gently, rubbing soothing circles on her back."Scared of us," she admitted finally, pulling away to look at me. "Our relationship. It's not normal, Derek. We're step-siblings."I sighed, knowing that this conversation was coming sooner or later. "I know it's not normal, Ron. But we love each other. And our parents are okay with it now, so why can't we be?""But what about everyone else?" Ronnie argued, looking worried. "What about our friends? What about the rest of the world?"I shrugged, not having an answer for her. "I
Derek's point of view:It was morning before I knew it. Mom and dad went out for her monthly check-up while I remained behind with Ronnie. Despite our relationship being approved by our parents, we were careful not to act like lovers around each other.The maids were home as well as the house workers. Which meant nothing much has changed. I met Ronnie after breakfast in the living room, watching a TV series. We didn't say much to each other except for a smile. We had to act cool and collected around each other. As I sat in the living room opposite Ronnie, she turned to me and asked, "Hey, Derek, can you tell me your history with Zoey?"I let out a sigh, wondering why she would even ask me about that. Nevertheless, I began to narrate my relationship with my ex-girlfriend, Zoey."Well, Zoey's father was my dad's best friend. He financially supported my dad and helped him establish his company," I explained."Wow, that's interesting," Ronnie said, looking genuinely intrigued."Yeah
Derek's point of view:Zoey drove me home in her Ferrari, but I didn't say a word.The silence was heavy between us, and I couldn't bring myself to break it. I knew what was coming, and I didn't want to hear it. But eventually, I couldn't take it anymore, and I asked her, "Why are you doing this?""Because it's the right thing to do," Zoey replied, her voice firm."You're standing in the way of my happiness," I snapped. "How's that the right thing to do?""I don't know," Zoey raised her voice. "That girl, Ronnie. Ever since I set eyes on her, I just didn't like her. She's trouble and I can smell trouble. You don't think you fooled me once with all that 'she's my stepsister' bullshit, did you?""I never imagined you'd go that far," I said, glaring at her. "If we weren't step siblings, then there's obviously nothing wrong with what we're doing."Zoey rolled her eyes. "Derek, as far as I'm concerned, there's a whole shade wrong with every girl you hook up with.""For crying out loud, Z
Ronnie's point of view:Derek took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of my bed, his hands clasped tightly together in his lap. "Zoey wants us to break up," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.I felt my stomach drop as his words sank in. Zoey, Derek's ex-girlfriend, had now become a thorn in our relationship. She was jealous of our connection and had never fully accepted our relationship. But I never thought she would go this far."Why?" I asked, my heart pounding in my chest."Because she has photos of us kissing," Derek said, his jaw clenched. "And she's threatening to upload them to the internet and publish them in Playboy if we don't break up."My mind raced as I tried to process this information. Zoey was blackmailing us, and I had no idea what we were going to do. I felt trapped, like there was no way out of this situation.Derek took my hand in his, his thumb tracing soothing circles on the back of my hand. "We'll figure something out," he said, his voice gentle.
Derek's point of view:I couldn't believe it when I woke up to the news that Ronnie and I were facing a media scandal over our kissing photo being leaked on the internet. My heart sank as I scrolled through the countless notifications on my phone.I never thought a simple kiss between me and my step-sister would cause such a stir. It was just a moment of impulsiveness that got captured on camera, and suddenly, it was all over the internet.The picture was everywhere. It was on social media, on news websites, and even on TV. People were commenting on it, speculating about our relationship, and passing judgment on us. What made it worse was the fact that Ronnie was my step-sister. That detail seemed to make it even more scandalous.I didn't know how to react. Part of me wanted to hide away and wait for it all to blow over, but I knew that wasn't an option. The media had picked up the story, and they weren't going to let it go. I remember the seeing the headline on one of the news