Zoey and I were on our way to my house in Ronnie's car. My father tagged along behind us, driving his own car. We were all quiet, lost in our own thoughts. Then, I turned to Zoey and asked her, "So what is this all about, Zoey?"She replied, "You sure sound desperate, Derek. What made you think I'd ever do anything to harm you?""I had an idea you were bluffing when you threatened to leak those photos. You can imagine my surprise when I woke up and found my name and Ronnie's trending on the internet," I responded.Zoey drove on in silence for a while, and then she asked, "If you had called off my bluff, then I wouldn't even have the guts to put out those photos.""It's hard to believe those words coming from your mouth when it's evident you were the only one with a copy of those photos," I said, feeling a sense of frustration."Oh, I wouldn't say I'm the only one who got a copy. You seemed to forget I got those photos from a source," Zoey said, tapping her fingers on the steering whee
Ronnie's point of view:"I was awake when you and Derek were fucking each other in the kitchen. You thought I didn't know anything about it, but I did," I said to her. Meg looked at me in shock, and I could see the guilt in her eyes. "And you didn't say anything until now?" she asked me. "No, I didn't because I chose to play a fool," I replied. "Also, I wanted to see what kind of friend you are." The room fell into silence as Meg tried to process what I had just said. She stood up and walked over towards the window, staring out at it. I could feel the tension in the air. After a few moments of silence, Meg chuckled, "Well, you got me. It's true Derek and I did some nasty shit while you slept in my room. Jealous?" I frowned at her. "Not necessarily jealous. More like I felt betrayed." Meg turned to face me. "You're one to talk. You never told me you and Derek were lovers despite you two being step-siblings," she said accusingly. I stood up from my bed, defending myself. "Does
Ronnie's point of view:I sat on my bed, staring at Meg in disbelief. "Don't tell me you're being serious right now," I said, my voice shaking.Meg shrugged. "There's nothing to hide, is there? Best I come clean," she replied.My hands clenched into fists as the tension in the room became heavy. "How long have you been selling my relationship with Derek out to Zoey?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady."I can't remember. For as long as I can remember. I was the one who contacted her and gave her the offer," Meg sighed.I was breathing hard. "For what prize? How much did she pay you, huh?" I demanded."I'll have you know I didn't collect a dime from her. I just wanna split you and Derek up," Meg rolled her eyes."You're a terrible friend. Do you have any idea what your actions just caused us? Because of you, Zoey leaked those photos. My life is in shambles because of you," I yelled at her."You'd get even madder at me if I told you the truth," Meg smiled."What truth?" My eyes wi
Derek's point of view:Three days later, Ronnie and I were sitting in our living room, having a conversation about our future. The fact that we were step-siblings had burst the media and the internet for a whole week, but things had calmed down now.The aftermath of the leak was difficult to deal with. We both felt violated and exposed, and we knew that we would have to deal with the consequences of our actions for a long time to come. As school was starting soon, we also knew that we would face challenges from our peers and teachers.We'd been through a lot lately, and I could tell that the stress was getting to her. That's when she suddenly brought up a suggestion that took me aback.She said that we may ultimately decide to go our separate ways. She felt that the stress and pressure of the situation was too much for her to handle. At first, I didn't know what to say. I was taken aback by her suggestion, but I knew she had a point.Despite the fact that the media and internet
Ronnie's point of view:As I was getting ready to leave for school in a different country, Derek saw me off to the airport where our father's private jet was waiting for me. He helped me with my luggage, making sure that I had everything I needed. I could tell that he was sad to see me go, but he tried his best to put on a brave face."Are you going to be okay?" he asked me."I'll be fine," I replied. "I'm excited to start this new chapter of my life.""I'm going to miss you," he said. "We need to keep in touch.""I agree," I said. "We can video chat, send each other texts, and even write letters."As we walked towards the gate, I couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and sadness. I was excited to start my new life, but I was also sad to be leaving my family behind. I hugged Derek tightly and felt a tear roll down my cheek."I'm going to miss you too," I said, my voice cracking.As Derek and I stood together, our eyes locked in a deep gaze, I felt my heart racing with exci
Ronnie's point of view: I was sitting in my room, surrounded by piles of books, trying to concentrate on studying. It was a particularly difficult chapter in my history textbook, and I was struggling to make sense of the complex timelines and events. The sound of raindrops tapping against my window was the only thing that broke the silence in my room.Suddenly, a thunderclap outside made me jump in my seat, causing my pen to fly out of my hand. I froze, realizing that it was raining heavily outside. I could hear the loud sound of the raindrops pelting against my window.Fear crept into my mind, and I could feel my heart racing.I pulled the blanket closer to me, trying to calm myself down, but the sound of thunderclaps kept coming one after another. It was terrifying, and I felt like I was in the middle of a warzone. As I was trying to calm myself down, another thunderclap shook the room, and I yelped, unable to control my fear.Suddenly, my thoughts drifted to Derek. Whenever
Derek's point of view:When I enrolled in my university, I was eager to start dating. Ronnie went to another university, but we tried to make it work. However, being away from her made me feel lonely, and I found myself falling back into my old habit of flirting with girls.It started innocently enough, just harmless flirting and talking to girls in my classes. But then it escalated, and before I knew it, I was hooking up with girls from my school. I couldn't help myself. The attention and excitement were addicting.I knew what I was doing was wrong, and I felt guilty about it. Ronnie was a great girlfriend, and I knew I was being unfair to her. But at the same time, I couldn't stop myself. The thrill of being with new girls was too tempting.I tried to justify my actions by telling myself that Ronnie and I were so far apart, and our relationship was already strained. But deep down, I knew that wasn't a valid excuse. I was betraying her trust, and it made me feel terrible.I wi
Ronnie's point of view:After hanging up with Derek, I sat in my room for what felt like hours, just staring blankly at the wall. I couldn't believe what I had just heard - that he had been seeing other girls behind my back.My mind was spinning with thoughts and emotions. How could he do this to me? Did he really love me at all? I felt hurt, angry, and betrayed all at once. I loved Derek so much, and the thought of him being with someone else made me sick.But at the same time, I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe I was partly to blame.Maybe if I had been there for him more, if I had made more of an effort to visit him, he wouldn't have felt the need to see other girls. Maybe it was my fault for not being enough for him.Ever since we began schooling separately, none of us had the time to visit one another. I couldn't even pay him a visit partly because I was afraid someone might recognise me in his school. Derek was an honest guy. I respect him for not hiding anything fro