by Skyla Madi
“Alia.” I stiffened when she placed her hand on my shoulder. “There are some things that I know you won’t understand. Please let me explain.”
“Not now,” I said, stepping away from her. “You’ve been hiding this from me for years. Were you ever planning on telling me?”
Her mouth fell open but then closed again. She briefly closed her eyes before reaching out a hand. I stepped out of reach before she could touch me.
“You know what hurts the most, Mom?” I whispered. “The fact that I have to watch him interact with them every day. I know he hates me, and that’s what hurts. He will never look at me like he looks at them because I remind him of your unfaithfulness.”
I walked away before she could say anything. The tears I saw in her eyes made my chest tighten. I hated seeing her cry, but I also hated seeing him love them more than me.
The days seemed to drag by slowly. I spent most of my time in my room reading. My mom hadn’t tried to speak to me again after I walked out. Sometimes, during dinner, I would catch Michael watching me. Whenever our eyes locked, he would quickly look away. We’d been polite with each other, but that’s as far as it went. Kate was still mad at me for wanting to go home. She called me some bad names in the group chat we had. I tried calling her, but she never answered. I even stopped by her house. According to her mother, Kate was visiting Delilah for the rest of the vacation. It was on the last day of vacation that I decided to visit Stephen instead of sitting at home. We’d barely spoken a few words. He was busy at work with some case. Whenever we would talk, he was distant. Stephen usually ended the call after only a few minutes of pleasantries.
I grabbed my new phone—my old one was recovered, but he thought it would be better to get a new one. Everyone else thought my phone broke after falling in the water. Slipping my feet into my pink flip-flops, I made my way into the hall. I hesitated and then pulled my bedroom door closed behind me. The pregnancy test and my sex toy were hidden in my closet beneath the carpet. I knew they wouldn’t find them if they searched my room, but I was still worried.
“Where are you going?”
I jumped, spinning around to face Michael. He stood in the doorway of their bedroom. I swallowed and then glanced down at my feet.
“To Kate’s,” I lied. I didn’t want him to know I’d be going to see his deputy. I shouldn’t care what he thought of our relationship, but I did.
“Will you drop your sisters off at your aunt’s house?” he asked softly.
My eyes darted up to his. It was then that I realized how tired he actually looked. He was dressed casually, which meant he wasn’t planning on going into work today.
“I already talked to her. She’ll drop them home.”
“Why don’t you drop them off?”
“Your mother isn’t feeling well. I don’t want to leave her alone,” he muttered. I pursed my lips.
“Fine.”
“You can take the car with the baby seat.”
I waited in the kitchen as he readied Sam. After half an hour, they were ready to leave. I stood aside as he placed Sam in the car seat and made sure she was strapped in.
“Alia?” I paused, glancing up at him. “I don’t hate you.”
He walked away before I could question him. His words made my eyes water, but I quickly blinked them away. I knew we had to talk. I needed to hear what my mother had to say. I just wasn’t ready yet. Emma was eerily silent beside me as I drove. I glanced at her as I slowed the car at the stop sign.
“You okay?” She nodded.
After a few tries of trying to start up a conversation, I gave up. I got a muttered goodbye from her as she climbed out of the car. My eyes followed her as she walked into the house without a backwards glance. Shaking my head, I opened the door and slid out of the car. I walked around and opened the back door. Sam was sleeping peacefully while sucking on her pacifier. I gently undid the straps then picked her up. With my free hand, I grabbed her bag. I stopped in my tracks when Marlin walked out of the house. He paused but then continued toward me. I was frozen on the spot. Marlin was my biological father. And I stood face to face with him for the first time since I found out.
“Are you staying too?”
“No,” I said angrily. “I’m just dropping them off.”
I held out the bag before he could say anything else. The moment Sam was in his arms, I got into the car and drove off. The road was blurry, which made it hard to see. This time I couldn’t stop the tears from escaping. I managed to make it to Stephen’s house without causing an accident. I was always this emotional when my period was close. No one answered the door when I rang the doorbell. I tried knocking, but still there was no reply. Sound from inside caught my attention. The pulsing beat of some song reached my ears. I hesitated for only a few seconds before opening the door. The beat of the song got louder as I entered the house. My heartbeat was starting to speed up. I should’ve just texted him instead of barging into his house. I closed the door softly behind me before stepping further inside.
He probably wouldn’t hear me when I called out. With my foot on the first step, I froze when the music suddenly stopped. The color drained from my face as the sounds from upstairs drifted down toward me.
“Oh fuck. Don’t stop, don’t stop,” a woman cried out.
Another song started, drowning out anymore sounds. I sucked in a breath and then turned to walk out. That’s when she appeared at the top of the stairs. I stared in shock at the familiar girl. She was completely naked and didn’t seem to care.
Above me stood the girl from Café Randé. The girl Stephen had kissed that day. That’s why he hadn’t been answering me. It’s why he’s been so distant. Stephen was a fucking cheater.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Stephen: Alia, answer your phone. Why aren’t you answering me? Fuck Alia. Answer me! Fuck this. If you don’t answer me in five minutes I’m coming over there.
I stared at the last message in dismay. I didn’t want him to come over. Why was he suddenly so concerned? I locked my phone and turned onto my side. My eyes fell on the teddy bear I had thrown into the corner of my room. Pain shot through me. For two weeks, he hadn’t spoken a word to me. I’d managed to avoid him and everything to do with him. School had started again, and everything was pretty much back to normal. Just like it was before Stephen appeared.
I wished the memories I had with him could fade. It hurt to think about it, about him. I’d fallen head over heels in love with him, a mistake on my part. It was my own fault. He said he didn’t want any feelings involved, but didn’t that change the moment he asked me to be his girlfriend? Why did he ask me to be his girlfriend if he knew it wouldn’t last? My body jerked in fright when my phone started vibrating next to me. I glanced at the screen. The urge to ignore the call was strong, but I knew he wouldn’t understand if I didn’t talk to him. I turned onto my back. Sucking in a deep breath, I answered.
“Why the hell are you ignoring me? Fuck, Alia, do you have any idea how worried I was? After what happened—”
“Why are you worried now?” I questioned him. “You’ve been ignoring me for the most part.”
“Alia—”
“I’m done,” I whispered. “I can’t do this anymore.” My voice cracked.
“What do you mean?” There was an edge to his voice when he finally spoke. “Done with what? Are you mad at me for not answering your calls? I’m sorry, baby. You know I’ve been busy with the case—”
“It’s not about the case or you ignoring my calls. It’s about something else. I don’t w-want to talk about it. P-please, just let it go, Stephen. It’s over b-between us.”
I ended the call before he could say anything else. Dropping my phone back onto the bed, I curled into myself and allowed the tears to wet my pillow.
***
“Exams start next week. I want you all to be prepared. Go over the pages I gave you!” Mrs. Sutton called as the bell rang.
She walked over to her desk and sank down gr
atefully into the padded chair. I waited until everyone had walked out of the classroom before picking up my bag and making my way toward her.
“What can I help you with, dear?” she questioned softly as she glanced up. I bit my lip and then sank down on the chair closest to her. My hands were shaking, so I clutched them tightly in my lap.
“Alia?”
“I was wondering if I could talk to you?”
“Of course, dear. You know you can. Is something bothering you? Did something happen?”
I kept my eyes on the wall. “About a month and a half ago, I found out that my father isn’t my real father. My mother had an affair.”
“She told you that herself?”
I nodded. After slight hesitation, I told her everything. I left out a few things but tried to stick as close to the truth as possible. When I was finished, she sat silently. I could feel her eyes burning into my head.
“Do you hate them for lying to you?” I shrugged. “I’m sure what they did was for a reason. Sometimes lies are made up to hide the ugly truth. You’re old enough to understand that some things led to another. There must be a reason as to why your mother had an affair. Why your father treats you the way he does. Life is short, Alia.” A gentle hand squeezed my shoulder. “Talk to them. Find out why they did what they did. Only when you know the truth will you be able to move on.”
After a muttered thanks, I grabbed my bag and walked out of the classroom. The schoolyard was mostly deserted; only the sport kids were walking around. I went over everything she said in my head as I walked toward my car. I wasn’t paying attention, and I wished I had.
“Alia.”
Stephen straightened, his peculiar eyes locking with mine. I took a step backwards, ready to run, but he was prepared. An arm wrapped around my waist and lifted me straight from the ground. My fist connected with his arm as he carried me toward my car. He placed me down and then used his body to cage me in.
“What’s going on, Alia? Have you gotten new messages? Has that man been following you?”
“What are you doing here?”
“You won’t answer my calls or texts. You just broke things off, and I want to know why.”
I swallowed and then finally found the courage to look up at him. My eyes instantly dropped to the bruised skin beneath his eyes.
“Why did you end things?”
“B-because you’re a lying bastard!” I managed to get out. “A cheating, lying bastard.” A lump formed in my throat as my eyes began to fill with tears again. With my hands against his chest, I managed to push him away. My bag slipped from my shoulders and fell onto the ground.
Stephen blinked at me, and then he laughed. “A lying, cheating bastard. Alia—”
“Don’t lie!” I yelled. “I saw her. I fucking saw her in your house naked. I heard you! I heard everything.”
“Who? I don’t know what you’re talking about, Alia!” he yelled, throwing his hand in the air.
“T-that bitch from the café. S-she was in your house. I-I heard you fucking. I saw…heard. You lying b-bastard!”
The dam broke free. A sob fell from my lips as tears started to drip down my cheeks. Shaking my head, I spun around, ready to get into my car and drive off. The door was slammed shut the moment I opened it. When I turned around, Stephen was right behind me. He placed his hands on either side of me then used his body to press me back against my car. One of his hands cupped my chin to force my eyes up to his. His eyes trailed over my face. He leaned down, causing a whimper to fall from my lips. Stephen brushed his lips softly against mine. His tongue stroked my bottom lip. Then he was kissing me. Fiercely. Possessively. He took control of my mouth, which made my body melt against his. I could taste the saltiness of my tears. I was sure that he could taste it too. One of his hands gripped mine and guided it down between our bodies. My mouth fell open when I felt the bulge in his pants.
“My dick hasn’t been near any pussy since he’s been in yours. He doesn’t think about another pussy. All he wants is you.” He bit my bottom lip. “All I want is you. I haven’t fucked anyone else since I saw you in that café.”
“I saw her.”
“No, baby.” He shook his head. “You heard Nathan and her fucking. You saw his fuck-buddy.”
“Y-your truck was there.”
“I was in the gym,” he muttered. “Why do I have the feeling you don’t want to believe me?”
“You’ve been avoiding me,” I whispered.
“Not on purpose, baby.” His hand trailed down to my neck. “I told you that I’ve been working on the case. We got some new leads and we need to check them out before they disappear. You have no idea how many times I had to use my hand to take care of myself. All I can think about is you. You and how amazing your fucking body felt clenched so tightly around my dick.”
Unconsciously my hand tightened around his dick. He groaned, thrusting his hips forward.
“You’re a distraction, baby,” he whispered, “the best kind.”
My cheeks heated. “You—”
“I what?” His lips twitched.
“You m-masturbate?”
“Only since I’ve met you.” He smirked. “Do you?”
“I-I haven’t.”
“Then we should change that,” he whispered against my lips.
My body melted against his as he once again captured my lips. I stroked his dick slowly, mimicking the motion of his tongue. Stephen moaned, breaking the kiss to bury his face against my neck. My stomach quivered.
“Let’s get out of here, baby.” He pulled away from me and rather stiffly bent to pick up my bag. “I’ll drive.”
The drive to his house was spent in silence. I followed Stephen down the path to his front door. He unlocked it and stepped inside. The moment I entered, his lips were smashed against mine. He moved forward, pressing me against the front door. One of his hands gripped my thigh and hooked it around his waist. I moaned, gripping his shoulders as I started to grind my hips against his. He groaned, pressing his forehead against mine.
“Today I’m going to show you just how much I missed you,” he whispered.
Stephen picked me up and carried me up the stairs toward his bedroom. He gently lowered me to the floor in front of the bed.
“Strip for me, baby,” he ordered softly.
I bit my lip. With shaky hands, I reached up to undo the tie. It fell to the floor, and the next to follow was my pullover and shirt. Stephen was watching me with half-hooded eyes. I paused as I reached for the button of my skirt.
“Why am I the only one getting naked?”
He chuckled but started to unbutton his shirt. It opened to reveal a white undershirt. Pulling the shirt from his pants, he dropped it to the floor. Stephen kicked off his boots and then pulled off his socks. Next, he undid his utility belt. He walked over to the desk and dropped it on top.
“Take off your shoes, baby.”
I pulled off my school shoes and socks then straightened to face him. His eyes trailed over me. Giving me a smile, he walked toward me. Stephen crouched and then reached for my skirt. He pushed it up to reveal my gym shorts. Without a word, he hooked his fingers in the band of shorts and my panties. Heat flooded my cheeks when he pulled them down my legs. My skirt dropped back in place when they reached my ankles. I stepped out of them and then waited for his next move. He straightened and took a few steps back. My mouth fell open when he raised my panties to his face. He pressed them against his nose and inhaled deeply.
“You smell so fucking delicious,” he groaned.
I pressed my thighs together as my stomach tightened. The way he was looking at me made me feel hot and super horny.
“Finish undressing.”
My hands shook badly. It took me a few tries before I finally managed to get my skirt loose. It instantly slipped down my legs to pool at my ankles. My sports bra followed seconds later. I stood completely naked in front of him. It made me feel slightly self-conscious even though I knew he had seen me naked
before. My eyes followed the movement of his hands as they moved to his pants. He undid the button then pulled the zip down. I was focused on the piece of exposed skin. He wasn’t wearing any underwear again. His pants dropped to his ankles. He kicked them away. The fact that he was aroused by just looking at me made satisfaction fill me.
“Do you trust me?” he questioned softly. I bit my lip as I glanced up at his face. It felt like my heart was about to jump out of my chest. I was excited but scared at the same time. “Alia, do you trust me?”
“Y-yes.”
“Turn around, baby.” I hesitated for a second but then turned around to face the bed. I could feel him behind me, but he didn’t touch me.
“Have you used the vibrator yet?” I shook my head. “I’m going to handcuff you to the bed. Then I’m going to make you come over and over until you beg me to stop. Do you want that?”
“Yes, sir,” I whispered. I didn’t know where the “sir” part came from, but he seemed to like it.
“Get on the bed. Lie down and spread your arms up to the headboard.”
I crawled onto the bed and then rolled over onto my back. With my arms spread out and slightly above my head, I stared up at the ceiling. I could hear him moving around, but I was too scared to look. After a few minutes, the bed dipped to my right. I turned my head to stare up at him. He held two black rubber armbands about five inches broad. Picking up my right hand, he tried it around my wrist. My breathing hitched when he closed the cuff. He straddled my stomach then reached for my left hand. Stephen repeated the action before looking down at me.
“The bands are to prevent the cuffs from digging into your skin. You have soft skin, and I noticed that you bruise easily. I don’t want to put you into a position where you have to explain why you have bruises on your wrist.”
I nodded mutely. My eyes dropped to his erect dick a few feet from my face. The piercing caught the light.
