by Janie Marie
Sweet Death: Tell him he’s dead if he stares at your ass any longer.
Sweet Death: Guess you’re asleep. Good night, my moon.
Logan plugged in the phone, shaking his head. “Romantic piece of shit.”
He cast one last look at her before making his way to his bathroom. At least she was smiling in her dreams tonight.
Logan checked his phone, feeling guilty for not sending some sweet shit to Kylie. But she was pissed at him for leaving with Janie. No way was he slipping up and letting her know Janie was asleep in his bed, and he’d be joining her after his shower. She wouldn’t understand Janie needed someone with her at night because she had night terrors. Even when Kylie had stayed with her, Ryder had already planned to stay the night because the boys weren’t used to dealing with her anymore.
Yeah, Kylie wouldn’t care about any of that. She’d probably throw a fit just knowing his dad stayed with her last night.
He sighed, tugging off his shirt. He really needed to figure out how to help Kylie understand it was okay for people to care about more than just her.
She’d leave him if she learned the truth about Janie. About them.
“Fuck.” He finished undressing. He was getting in deeper with all the lies, but he didn’t know how to come clean. Janie was trying to help, but she knew what he did—Kylie wasn’t going to take anything well. It was his fault again, but he was trying to have faith in Janie’s declaration that Kylie would love him, and they would get through anything if they were meant to be. He was holding onto that. He’d just wait for the rest of this shit to settle before spilling any more secrets.
As soon as he got in and the hot water splashed against his body, he groaned. Memories of what he and Kylie had done together had him hard in seconds as he began imagining her sweet lips on his, her body pressed against him. His hands squeezing and sliding over her skin, her mouth around his—
“Fuck,” he said, closing his eyes as he leaned against the tiles with one hand and stroked himself slowly with the other.
There was a light knock, then Janie called out softly, “Logan?”
He snapped his eyes open and stopped his hand movement as he wondered how long he’d been jacking off for. “Hey, baby doll,” he said, trying his best not to sound like he’d just been seconds away from coming all over his shower wall. “I’ll be out in a minute. You okay?”
He could tell she had just cracked the door open but wasn’t inside the bathroom. He looked down at his dick in his hand and grimaced. So close.
“I need pills and a washcloth. I checked the kitchen, but I can’t find anything.”
He looked up, then back down at himself as she continued.
“It’s bad. I’m getting nauseous.”
“Okay,” he said, shaking his head. He couldn’t stop himself, his lack of constant sex and the stress was getting to him. Just knowing Kylie was eighteen tomorrow had him stroking himself again. It was wrong to do it with Janie right there, especially with her sick, but he needed release. It would do no good to walk out with a raging erection. Not with those memories of her naked still fresh. Not when he’d soon have her pressed up on him.
Damn.
“The cloths are right there in the cabinet. I’ll be out soon, and I’ll get you some medicine. Just stay in the room.” He closed his eyes and jerked harder, not caring if she could make out the sound or the strain in his voice.
The faucet turned on, and he peeked over his shoulder. She wasn’t looking at him, but his dick swelled when she bent forward to splash water on her face. Her ass was like a present in her tiny black shorts.
She rang out her washcloth and turned, startled to see him staring at her. She knew what he was doing, but she turned and walked away.
The sound of the door slamming made him sigh, but he kept going. It was pointless to lie and say he hadn’t thought about just pulling her in there with him.
Yeah, he really needed to get this load off. “Kylie,” he whispered, chanting her name in his head and forcing himself to focus on Kylie—on everything they’d done—of everything he wanted to do to her.
Logan remembered her deep throating him and jerked faster. Harder. He remembered telling her he was going to come and grabbing her by the hair to pull her mouth off him, blowing his load all over her tits. It pushed him over the edge, and he grunted as he found release.
“Fuck.” He leaned his head forward and gave himself the last few strokes he needed to empty himself. Water continued to slide down his face and he licked his lips, thirsty from the quick exertion.
As he let go of himself, he grabbed his body wash, poured a good amount in his hands, and started to wash his body. He looked up when there was a low thump outside the door. He wouldn’t put it past Janie to try to block his path because she was mad. Guilt washed through him, but it didn’t stop him from thinking about her ass, about every gorgeous inch of her body. “Fuck, I really am the worst boyfriend,” he said as he leaned back to wash his hair. He was messed up in the head, and he knew he wasn’t over her. He didn’t know what it meant to respect she was with Ryder, yet still think like this about her, even when he had Kylie. And it was Kylie he wanted to lose himself in.
He just hoped it would stay that way after it was over. He prayed Ryder wasn’t right.
“She’s your very fucking late rebound,” Ryder had said, laughing at him as Janie tried to get him to be quiet. “Once you hit it, you’ll see.”
“No, she’s the one,” he told himself, slowing how fast he was trying to rinse himself so he could relax. “Always two,” he whispered, closing his eyes as he started rinsing the shampoo from his hair.
A low sound had him frowning, and he rubbed the soap out of his face so he could shut off the water. He pulled his towel down and dried himself. “Baby doll?”
She didn’t respond. He pulled his shorts on, brushed his teeth and his hair. He noticed his phone notification light flash and reached for it.
Janie screamed, “Logan!”
He jerked his head up as the phone slipped from his fingers. Fear exploded in his heart and he ran for the door, forgetting about his phone and everything else.
He’d heard that scream before. “Janie!”
Fifteen
Prettiest of them All
Kylie pulled a water bottle from the refrigerator, sighing as she stepped back to close it.
“What took you so long to get home?”
Kylie gasped and looked over to see Lorelei standing on the opposite side of the kitchen island.
“He took me to get my hair cut,” she said, gesturing to her glossy locks. “You know, my hair that I haven’t been allowed to get trimmed or even show since my dad died. I bet you’re regretting sending Trevor to ask me to do his project now, aren’t you?”
Lorelei’s mouth twitched at the corners. “I only regret you pulling off that hood of yours.”
She glared at Lorelei. “Well, I don’t. I met an amazing guy, and I didn’t even have to take my hood off or have sex with him to get him to see me.”
Lorelei tilted her head. “I thought Logan broke up with you for the girl who hit Maura.”
“He did,” she responded quickly, trying to calm herself. She couldn’t believe she’d ruined their cover.
“Hm.” Lorelei hummed and began to walk away. “You almost fooled me. The pictures were a bit much. Poor girl. Be careful who you let find out your little secret. Trust me, there’s no reward for people who lie.”
Kylie didn’t say anything else, and Lorelei simply let out a small chuckle before exiting the kitchen.
The weight of her phone taunted her.
She knew she’d just screwed up, and she was frantic to call Logan for advice. “Crap,” she said as she heard Kevin raising his voice upstairs. He had gotten in a sour mood after they arrived home and found numerous smashed items around the house.
Lorelei had shrugged and said she knocked them down but didn’t feel like cleaning them up—that the maids could take ca
re of it tomorrow. Kylie knew Lorelei didn’t do it, and clearly, Kevin knew that as well. He asked where Maura was, and when Lorelei didn’t answer, he ordered Kylie to get ready for bed and for Lorelei to wait for him in their room.
Obviously, it was a night for disobeying Kevin since both she and Lorelei had ventured downstairs thirty minutes after he’d stormed up to see Maura. What Lorelei needed from the kitchen, she didn’t know, but she wasn’t going to wait around to find out. For all she knew, Lorelei was coming to get a knife to slit her throat while she slept.
“Hell, Kylie, can you be any more grim?” she whispered, squeezing the phone to comfort herself that help would come if she needed it.
Kevin’s voice rose again, but it quieted just as quickly. She glanced at her water bottle, decided she’d spent enough time out of her room, and headed toward the stairs.
She carefully crept through the halls, squeezing her phone again. When she was close to Maura’s room, she heard crying, along with Kevin’s voice as he talked quietly to her. There was no way to make out what he was saying, but he didn’t sound upset anymore. He sounded calm. Loving.
Kylie got closer, pausing to see if she could hear anything. She expected to see Maura holding a bat up or something, but what she saw made her heart beat faster.
Maura was lying on the bed as Kevin sat next to her, rubbing her back as she cried with her face pressed into a pillow.
A sense of déjà vu rose, but she squeezed her eyes shut until the feeling went away.
Kylie slowly opened her eyes, realizing she’d broken into a sweat. She wiped her forehead and trembled as she leaned closer to the door. She couldn’t hear what Kevin was saying, but he was no doubt comforting Maura.
Fire burned in her chest, and her clammy hand balled into a fist.
Kevin’s attention today and yesterday had her feeling special. After everything with Logan and Janie being thrown in her face, Ryder’s mean ass attack and Logan’s adamancy to stand by Janie, Kylie needed to feel important. And Kevin had made her feel that way. She never really desired his attention, but now that she’d had it—now that he had been harsh with Maura and Lorelei and sweet with her, she wanted it all the time. He’d made it seem like he’d chosen her, but now he was back to treating Maura like a princess.
“Kylie?” Kevin called.
She jerked back, her eyes wide as they locked with Kevin’s. Both he and Maura were staring right at her.
“Are you all right?” he asked. “I told you to stay in your room.”
“I’m sorry,” she said and held up her water bottle. “I was thirsty. I’m going back to finish some work. Sorry.”
Kevin got up slowly. Maura had started to say something, but he held up his hand for her to be quiet. “It’s fine, but I want you to get your work done and get to bed. I’ll see you in the morning, okay? Eighteen tomorrow.”
Kylie chuckled and nodded.
“I’ll make sure Lor makes you something special for breakfast.”
“Okay,” she said and looked over when Maura let out a dramatic sob. Kylie wanted to roll her eyes and laugh at her misery, but she tried to at least act like she cared. “Is she okay?”
Kevin looked back at her and nodded. “Boy problems. Get some rest now. And don’t worry about your sister. I’m taking care of it.”
Sister. Kylie glanced at Maura. She would never consider her a sister. She never had. Not even when they first met. Kylie shook her head until her mind went numb. Any memory of Maura was something she didn’t want to linger on. Maura was a monster, and she could suffer for eternity for all Kylie cared. “All right,” she said and smiled at Kevin, happy he wasn’t rushing back to Maura. “Thanks for today, by the way.”
“You’re wel—”
Lorelei’s voice cut him off, “Kevin, we’re out of aspirin. Will you run to the store to get me some?”
Kylie turned to see her stepmother just a few feet from her.
Kevin sighed and nudged Kylie’s back. “You women will be the death of me. Go to your room, Kylie. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay. Good night.” She headed for her room, peeking over her shoulder to see Kevin turn to Lorelei.
“We have other medicine, Lor.”
“It’s all gone, too,” she said and reached up for her head when Kylie stood at her door. “Please, Kevin. My head is splitting. I’ve searched the house for something, and there’s nothing left.”
He sighed and nodded. “Fine,” he said as he took a hold of Lorelei’s hand. Kylie frowned when he lifted it to his lips, then spoke in Maura’s direction. “Maura, we’ll finish our talk tomorrow. Get some rest.” He didn’t wait for a response and pulled the door shut before walking in the same direction Lorelei had already disappeared in.
Sighing out her frustration, Kylie entered her room and shut her door. Kevin would probably never overcome Lorelei’s seduction.
Kylie stared at her phone, not aware of how fast she had pulled up Logan’s contact: Fucker.
She must have stared at it for ten minutes before she said, “Maybe it’s not that big a deal.”
“Still talking to yourself?”
Kylie gasped and looked up. Maura had been standing just inside her room for who knew how long.
“What are you doing in here?” She wasn’t going to act afraid anymore and openly glared at her.
“I don’t know,” Maura said as her gaze drifted around the room.
Kylie startled at the unsure look on Maura’s face.
“What am I doing in here?” Maura murmured.
Kylie shook her head, ready to tell her to get out, but Maura was talking again.
“My daddy used to tell Mama she was the prettiest woman on earth.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Kylie couldn’t hide her sass. Sure, Maura might have been having boy problems, but that wasn’t surprising. Trevor had said she fucked every guy, then stalked them when they were done with her. That’s all this was.
When Maura’s eyes returned to Kylie’s, she noticed the normal menacing gleam they tended to spark with was gone. Instead, a sort of lost, broken pair looked back at her. However, it was the surprised look on Maura’s face that really started to alarm her—as if she’d truly forgotten where she was.
“But I’m the prettiest of them all.” Maura’s hushed words shook as she took an unsteady step toward her.
Afraid to look away from her tear-stained, extra puffy faced stepsister, Kylie patted the bed for her phone. “Stay back,” she said, panicking when Maura’s eyes seemed to go in and out of focus. “You need to go. I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you need to get out of my room.”
“You weren’t supposed to be seen,” Maura whispered, and that’s when Kylie noticed the trail of blood behind her. “No one was supposed to see. Mama said so. Do you remember? It wasn’t supposed to happen again. He was supposed to love me. She said this one would.”
“Maura, you’re hurt,” she said, holding her hands up when she saw the knife still clutched in her stepsister’s hand.
Maura didn’t seem to hear her. “I’m the prettiest. Not you. Why does he see you? Both—” She fell.
Kylie sat there, paralyzed, but she screamed when she saw the jagged wounds carved into Maura’s wrists. “Kevin! Lorelei!”
Kylie finally found her phone and shoved it in her pocket as she ran to Maura’s side. “Maura.” She dropped to her knees. She didn’t even think as she grabbed the bloody knife from Maura’s hand and tossed it away. She grabbed Maura’s face, noticing her pupils dilating and screamed for help again.
“Kylie! Maura!” Both Kevin’s and Lorelei’s shouts came from somewhere in their home.
Kylie yelled where they were and tried to put pressure on the bleeding. “Maura, it’s going to be okay. I promise.”
She heard Kevin and Lorelei coming and tried to squeeze her shaking fingers around Maura’s wrists and forearms. She’d cut so deep.
“His eyes,” Maura whispered weakly.
“So big. So pretty. She—they—” Her eyes widened with fear. “I’m the prettiest.”
Kylie shook her head. “Maura, did you take something?”
Nodding, Maura mumbled, “Logan . . . stop.”
“Logan?” Kylie cried as Maura got visibly paler. “What about Logan?”
“It hurts,” she whispered. “Don’t let him s . . .”
Kylie sobbed, not sure if she was crying for Maura or for fear of why Logan’s name would be on her stepsister’s lips. The fear in Maura’s green eyes broke Kylie, and she couldn’t see her abuser anymore. “I know it hurts.” She cried as she squeezed tighter, warm blood seeping between her fingers. “Hang on.”
“Jesus,” Kevin said, running in and yanking his phone out at the same time. “What happened? Maura?”
“She took something, too.” She cried as Kevin requested an ambulance to their house.
“Lor,” Kevin yelled as he grabbed one of Maura’s arms, nodding at Kylie to keep the other one so they could both apply pressure. “Maura, stay awake! Oh, baby, what happened? Not again. Please.”
Kylie looked up to see Lorelei standing in the doorway, but she wasn’t moving or panicking. She was just staring at her daughter.
“Kylie,” Kevin shouted, wiping a tear from his eye, smearing blood along his cheek, “tell me what happened.”
She looked away from Lorelei. “I don’t know. She just came in here bleeding and fell. She said she took something.”
Kevin tried to use one hand to press speaker on his phone. He had dropped it and the operator’s voice now filled the room, confirming they were still on the line.
“Yes,” Kevin spoke loudly. “She’s passed out. There are several cuts along her wrists and forearms. We’re applying pressure. Kylie, use your sheet.”
Kylie nodded and reached over to yank the sheet from her bed and put it between her and Kevin, each grabbing an end to hold to her bleeding arms.
“Sir?”
“I’m still here,” Kevin yelled. “Um, we think she took something, too. I don’t know what she would have taken. Fuck, the aspirin. Lor, she must’ve taken the aspirin. Come help. Make a tourniquet.”
