I couldn’t let Mila take all the blame. It had been my idea, my doing, and my fucking fault.
“You’re a worthless, incompetent, piece of shit, Dev. Can’t even follow a simple request!” Monique shouted at me before storming out of the kitchen.
Great, I thought. I’d saved Mila from Monique’s fury yet had put myself in her bad books; those books were pretty thick by now, full of things that had pissed her off, I thought.
I took a moment to contemplate the situation, trying to calm myself down.
The air shifted and changed as soon as the front door shut behind Monique.
Raising my eyes, I met Mila’s gaze. For several long moments we just stood and looked at each other, blinking, catching our breath. The tension in the air switched as if it had taken on a whole other persona. No longer was it red with anger; it had turned more intense, lustful and swollen with promise.
She looked beautiful - big round eyes, bed-head hair with beads of moisture still clinging to the strands from her shower. And that goddamned robe, which had slid open again, just a sliver, revealing her creamy skin. She was going to be the death of me. I wanted to peel it away…
We continued to stare at each other, and I wanted to kiss her so badly. I wanted a repeat of everything that had happened the previous night, and then some. Mila looked like she shared the same thought as her tongue darted out of her mouth and she gently bit her lower lip.
“Mila,” I groaned softly, “Are you ok?” I made my way towards her, stepping dangerously close. She remained frozen to the spot as I reached out carefully, my fingers grazing the exposed skin on her neck. A soothing gesture.
I just wanted a peek at what lay underneath. A little something to make this day better.
But my touch was too intimate, too taboo, because she immediately shrank back and glanced away.
“We need to talk,” I said desperately, but my stepsister was already shaking her head no. “Please, Mila…”
“Just leave me the hell alone,” she murmured, the pain in her voice evident as she stumbled towards the door. She didn’t even give me one last look as she walked out, shutting the door behind her with a final thud.
I leaned against the wood with a groan, running my hands through my hair. Things were getting more fucked up by the minute.
13
Mila
I went to work feeling more confused than ever. The conflicting feelings I harboured for Dev were messing with my head and infecting my every conscious thought. Dazed, worried, at a loss at what to do. I felt so torn.
I knew what we had done was wrong, and I was determined to prevent anything forbidden from happening again, but as soon as he came near me, all the strength I’d managed to build in my mind disappeared - vanished in a flash. All I wanted was to be kissed by him again, to be touched by him.
He would’ve done it, too, if I’d let him, I thought. The lust and anger that flared in his eyes that morning after Monique left was a powerful thing to witness. He would’ve ripped away my dressing gown and pressed me right up against wall… Or maybe that’s what I’d wanted him to do, and he just wanted to console me after being berated by Monique’s harsh words.
The day was long and the workload was heavy at the real estate office, but at least there was an exciting announcement, which caught my attention and kept me partially distracted.
“Have you heard?” my colleague Rebecca whispered during our lunchtime break.
“Heard what?” I asked tiredly, not really wanting to gossip but intrigued anyway. There was already too much drama in my home life – I couldn’t take any more at work. And to be truthful, I’d been looking forward to the end of the day, when I hoped to get some peace and quiet in my little apartment, with the door firmly locked and headphones on so I couldn’t be witness to another screaming match down in the main house. It was like they were performers, putting on a show every night and heart-breaking matinees twice on Sundays.
“There’s rumours of a new job opening, for us lowly secretaries, coming up soon,” Rebecca told me in hushed tones but getting my attention.
“Here?”
“Nah, everyone thinks it’s going to be in the fancy new offices. They haven’t said much else, but I wouldn’t mind moving to another state. I hope I get it... It’ll be an amazing bump in pay.”
My eyes grew wider as I listened to the new information, but in the end, I just shook my head and sighed. “Not for me,” I said with finality in my tone.
I had obligations.
Despite everything that had happened with my stepbrother, I was bound to my word. I had to deliver his and Monique’s baby, as ridiculous as it seemed in that moment. I couldn’t just cut ties now and run off when things got bad, I thought. No, I was a better person than that. Or at least thought I was…