by Caz May
And it’s not a something, but a someone. A guy, and he grabs the box from me, holding it against his chest.
“Hey, looks like you could use some help?” he asks, effortlessly walking backwards up the stairs, clutching the box to his chest still.
I’m completely tongue tied, wondering who this gorgeous stranger in my new house is. I follow him up the stairs, fearful, but feeling comfortable enough to trust him.
He seems familiar and he’s older for sure, maybe mid-twenties. He stops at the top of the staircase.
“I don’t bite,” he says to me with a cocky grin, that I’ve only seen one other guy exhibit. Ezekiel Alessio has the same signature smirk.
“I um...would you mind putting them in my room?
“Sure, show me the way,” he says sweetly, his tone deep.
He follows me across the landing to my room. And I feel a little giddy when he steps into my space, putting the box down on the floor.
He runs a hand through his hair, flipping it back out of his eyes. I’m a dumbfounded idiot right now. And I’m trying to think back and remember who he is and if he’s related to Zeke. I recall Zeke having an older brother, so I’m guessing this must be him, but I can’t remember his name.
He breaks my thoughts from my trip down memory lane. “Don’t remember me huh?”
I shake my head, smiling.
“Well, I’m guessing your Zeke’s older brother?”
“Yeah, Dane,” he says, stretching out a hand to me to shake. “And your Tempany yeah?”
Hesitantly I take his outstretched hand, his grip is firm and even though he’s beyond gorgeous I don’t feel any tingles or anything like when Ashton touches me.
“Yeah, how’d you know?” I ask nervously.
“Ezekiel mentioned you were back. The way he went on about you coming back, I’m thinking my younger brother might have a thing for you.”
I laugh, scoffing.
“Yeah, um. I don’t think so. He um...kissed my best friend, Lorena.”
Dane glares at me.
“Serious? You telling me my moron of younger brother kissed the mayor’s daughter?”
“Yeah,” I reply with a snort of laughter.
“Damn, he’s more of a moron than I thought he was. Speaking of him, you don’t happen to know where he is?”
I nod.
“He skipped out with Ashton earlier. Obviously they didn’t want to help my dad and I move in.
“Clearly,” he replies scoffing and shaking his head. “Do you have anything else you need to bring in?”
I step out of my room, and he follows.
“No, I’ve bought everything in. Thanks for your help, Dane.”
“No worries Tempany. I’ll see you around. And if you see my brother around, let him know Mum’s expecting him home early tonight.”
“Oh ok, no problems,” I promise, watching him walk out the door.
Closing it behind me, I head up to my room, collapsing on my unmade bed and text Lorena.
All moved in. Got some unexpected help
Ooo...spill girl?
Remember Dane?
As in Dane Alessio, Zeke’s older brother?
Yep, that one. He’s gorgeous.
Oh yeah. Anyway, dad wants something. I can hear him yelling. See you at school.
Putting my phone down beside me, I close my eyes. and feel my body drifting to sleep. I should put sheets on the bed, but that’s too much effort.
I feel like I’ve run a marathon. I’m so exhausted, and this bed is so comfy, it is one of those memory foam ones that pull you in.
I imagine it’s arms wrapping around me, making a mental note to ask dad about where my sheets are when he gets home, well, gets here from our old house. He’d been so busy getting everything sorted for moving into the Castello’s that I’ve hardly seen him. And it’s making me feel like an intruder in this house. It’s certainly not a welcome to the household kinda day, considering everyone is out.
Despite what life was like with mum in Albury I want to go back there, at least I felt like I belonged there. Lockgrove Bay is just old memories and so far the new memories aren’t pleasant.
I’m startled by my phone vibrating next to me. It’s a text from an unknown number.
All sorted dear. On our way home with pizza.
Ok.
I tuck my phone in my jeans pocket and head down the stairs. I’m shocked, nearly tripping up when Ashton comes crashing in.
“Temptress,” he purrs, deliberately bumping into me at the foot of the stairs. His body pins me against the bannister.
“Don’t think you’re welcome here, Tempany. This is my house. You’re just standing in it.”
I try to open my mouth, but nothing but a whimper comes out.
Ashton gets a kick out of my reaction, his chest rising.
“I’m guessing we’re clear then,” he practically seethes, shoving me aside and running up the stairs behind me.
I take in a deep breath to compose myself when my dad, Sascha and Ava come in—happily talking—with two boxes of pizza.
I honestly don’t know what to do anymore, so I plaster a smile on my face, greeting them and following them into the lounge room to eat the pizza in front of the tv.
It’s nice to have a proper family again, but my heart hurts because not everyone in this family is making me feel welcome.
Twenty
Ashton
The school year has barely started, and other than playing basketball, it’s literal hell.
Tem and her dad have officially moved in, and I’m being expected to play happy families. Mum is expecting us—after eating pizza in the lounge room on Sunday—to now have dinner at the dining table, together. No phones, just eating allowed and small talk, which is admittedly torture.
Tempany stares at me across the table. I swear she deliberately sits across from me, just so she can stare at me.
Well, Temptress, two can play that game.
I’m going to watch her like a damn eagle, tracking her—my prey—until I can find a time to strike and bring her down—to her knees—by crushing her sweet, I’m so innocent reputation.
I’d not had the chance to blackmail her, yet. Fallon had to be dealt with, and I’m not surprised she hasn’t shown her face at school for like four days.
Parking the Camaro I head inside the school, wondering why everyone seems to be staring at me. It wasn't like this the other day when I put up the flyers. It makes me feel uneasy, and seeing Fallon standing against my locker when I walk into the school building makes me literally feel like chucking my guts.
Reaching her, I shove her aside.
“Care to move Fallon?” I taunt. She whimpers and sniffs, making me realise she’s sobbing. The girl is always fucking crying. And this time it's not of my doing, surely. She can't still be upset about the flyers. It’s been a goddamn week.
“Ash, we, um…”
“What, Fallon? We what?” I seethe at her, slamming my locker shut.
“Can we talk in private?”
“Depends,” I jeer, sniggering.
“Please Ash, don’t be like that. I really need to talk to you, alone.”
Tears are still stinging her eyes when she grabs my hand and pulls me away, towards the library. It feels like the entire school is glaring at me, and it's making my guts stir.
The library is quiet when we walk in, and she drags me into the shelves, away from any eyes on us.
“Well, talk Fallon,” I taunt again, pushing her against the shelves. “Unless your tears were just a ruse to get me in here to suck my dick.”
She scoffs at me, giving me dagger eyes. Ok point taken. Ashton Jnr is not getting a gobby right now. Good thing as he’s not even half mast.
“No, we need to talk.”
“Then talk, Fallon. I’m all ears. And we don't have until Christmas, so get on with it.”
“I’m actually pregnant, Ashton. For real this time.”
I actually laugh out loud
, so loud I should be rolling on the floor.
“Oh right, sure, and it’s mine.”
“Yes, Ashton,” she says softly. “I’m only a few weeks along. Maybe a month.”
“I wore a fucking franger the last time we fucked, Fallon. And I’d bet you my Camaro the franger did not break.”
“But the time before that, the week before remember?” She reminds me. And yes I fucking remember sticking my dick into her, bare when I went over to hers after fighting with Dad.
Still, it doesn’t add up. I pulled out when I came.
“Well, even with that incident there’s no way it's mine. I pulled out. And I’m not taking this bait, Fallon.”
“I’m positive, Ash. I’m having your baby.”
She’s adamant, but I’m not falling for her bullshit.
“Yeah, Nah. Go fuck yourself, Fallon. Leave me the fuck alone, and for the love of all things holy, stop calling me Ash and thinking I give a shit about you.”
I don't wait another moment to see or hear her reaction or reply before I’m racing out of the library. The bell sounding invades my headspace, and instead of heading to class I rush back to my locker, shoving my books inside and grabbing my phone to text Zeke.
Bro, skipping out this morning. You still got the jack and some grass around?
Yeah, meet you at the spot in ten
Sweet bro I’m fangin’
Ten minutes later, I’m leaning against the wall behind the gym when Zeke comes sauntering up to me with a bottle of Jack Daniels tucked under his arm. I practically snatch it when he hands it to me, opening it and taking in a few gulps.
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath shaking my head, my hair flopping in front of my eyes a little.
“You ok, man?” Zeke asks, taking the bottle and leaning against the wall next to me whilst he takes a swig.
“Yeah, Nah, fuck!” I groan.
The Jack is good but hasn’t taken away the uneasy feeling in my gut. If Fallon is really pregnant, I’m fucking screwed.
Fucked up the wazoo.
I turn to Zeke who’s taking another swig and eyeing me questionably. “You got that grass, man?”
“Yeah,” he replies, reaching into his pocket for the joint and a lighter. He hands them to me, and I take a long drag after lighting it, puffing the smoke out after holding it in my head a moment.
“You gonna tell me why you were fangin’ so bad? We haven’t smoked in yonks.”
I take another quick drag, heading it and handing Zeke the half spent joint. He takes a quick drag.
“Ash, man,” he says softly.
“Um yeah, Fallon might be knocked up for real.”
Zeke nods, but his eyes show the fear I’m sure is reflected in mine.
“Yours?”
“Yeah,” I mutter worriedly, my words hitting me in the guts.
“You always wrapped ya dick though,” Zeke retorts.
I shake my head, grabbing the Jack Daniels from him for another swig.
“That’s not true. I fucked her bare the week before we broke up.”
“Shit man. That’s fucked up. What ya gonna do?”
“No idea. Avoid her, and hope it sorts itself out.”
“Yeah, anyway bro, I’m gonna sneak this back into my locker before the bell. You coming back to class?”
“Yeah, the grass is hitting me, but I can’t afford to skip the whole day. Dad would be on my arse if he found out I wagged the whole day.”
“Sucks man, sucks,” he replies as I follow him inside, making sure the corridor is still empty before we head to our lockers.
Zeke shoves the Jack Daniels in the far corner of his locker, grabs out his books and slams it shut.
“Catch ya at lunch,” he tells me, walking off when the bell rings.
“Not recess?” I yell to his back.
He turns back, making a thrusting gesture with his hips.
“Got a date in that place, if you get my drift,” he hollers, sticking his tongue out.
I flip him off.
“Oh Ezekiel, I get your drift you sicko.”
I quickly grab my books out of my locker and head to class.
The hit is getting to me, and I’m regretting my choice to get high at school.
I could so go for a nap right about now.
Twenty-One
Ashton
Somehow I manage to get through until last period, without falling asleep. But in the last class, History I give in to the overwhelming tiredness plaguing me from my high comedown.
I’m startled awake by the class laughing around me.
Mr Smith’s history class is never funny so something else must be making everyone cack themselves.
Sitting up I glance around the room, noticing that everyone is staring at me, and pointing whilst doubling over in laughter.
In front of me, Fallon is sitting in a chair, her legs crossed. And she’s twirling a sharpie between her fingers.
I feel Tem step up behind me. She leans down to my ear, exhaling a breath that sends a jolt through me.
“She wrote something on your forehead,” Tem whispers in my ear. I jump up from my seat, rushing out the door to the bathroom.
And looking in the mirror, right across my forehead in capital letters is the word, ‘ARSEHOLE’’.
The bell sounds, and I quickly rush out to the Camaro before anyone else sees me. I notice Tempany rushing out to her car as I drive off, and honestly, I just want to get home and get Fallon’s scathing word off my damn head. It makes me feel sick to the stomach, because I don’t want to be that guy.
Fidel Castello is an arsehole.
And I don’t want to be.
Fifteen minutes later, I’m home and rush into the bathroom.
Grabbing a face washer I run it under warm water, squeezing a bit of liquid soap onto it as well.
Looking in the mirror, I start scrubbing at my forehead, but the black sharpie word of shame won’t budge. I let out a silent scream, and turn to the open bathroom door to find my stepsister standing against the door frame, taunting me.
“What do you fucking want?” I ask angrily, glaring at her a moment before resuming my scrubbing.
“You won’t get it off like that…with that,”she offers, stepping into the bathroom.
“Did I ask for your help, Tempany?”
She makes me seethe with her response. “Do you want it off or not?”
“What the fuck do you think?”
She bites her lip, stepping around me and our eyes lock on each other’s in the mirror.
“It’s kinda true,” she tells me, opening the drawer full of makeup.
“Yeah, rub it in, Tempany,” I reply bluntly.
In her hand she’s gripping a makeup remover wipe.
“May I?” She asks.
I don’t reply, but sit on the toilet lid and she moves to stand in front of me. My whole body is suddenly on fire, her crotch practically at my face, and I can smell her arousal and her peachy body wash.
“It might be a little cold,” she tells me pressing the makeup wipe to my forehead.
With one stroke she wipes it across my skin, and it leaves my skin feeling all tingly. That’s not the only place I’m feeling tingly, my whole body is erupting in goosebumps. And she’s not even touching me. Why I’m having any kinda reaction like that to Tem being close to me is crazy. But fuck.
“Is it coming off?” I ask with a sigh.
“Yes, arsehole,” she taunts with a smirk.
“Funny Temptress,” I taunt back when she wipes my forehead again, stepping back. I miss having her so close straight away. And that’s so bad, so fucking bad.
“Done, you’re not branded an arsehole now.”
“Thanks, I guess,” I mutter softly.
“You’re welcome, Ash,” she tells me, dropping the wipe in the bin, and walking out.
My nickname on her lips sounded so sweet, and standing up I look in the mirror again wondering if she really sees beyond my ‘arsehole’
exterior.
Heading out of the bathroom, walking past Tem’s room her door is ajar. Peeking through the gap I can see she’s getting changed, slipping her skirt down over her pert arse exposing her toned legs.
Leaning against the wall, I peek in to watch her, loving every second of her exposing more of her sexy body to my eyes.
I can’t help myself, my hand slipping down to the front of my daks. My dick is throbbing, and I palm it, touching myself over my trackies. Biting my lip, I hold in the moan that wants to escape my mouth. I’m so turned on right now, and she’s not even touching me. This is so fucking bad.
I’m tempted to whip my aching dick out—standing in the middle of the hallway—when Tem turns around, her eyes nearly catching mine.
Groaning, I rush into my room, flopping down on my back to the bed. My dick is tenting my trackies, aching so bad for release.
I don’t have this kinda reaction to a half naked chick; ever. And I shouldn’t be having such a reaction to Tem, my fucking stepsister. But fuck.
She’s sexy as fuck, and that’s mainly because she has no idea that she’s a walking wet dream.
Yanking my dick out of my trackies—thanking myself for going commando—I start to jerk off, stroking my dick in long strokes, closing my eyes and imagining Tem’s hands on me. I’m so hard, so close to blowing my load all over my t-shirt.
Sitting up a little I lift the white t-shirt I’m wearing over my head and throwing it aside I’m shocked to find Tempany has come into my room—even though my door was closed—and she’s standing in the middle of my bedroom with a shocked expression painting her pretty face. She takes a tentative step towards the bed, her eyes gazing over my nakedness. If my daks weren’t around my knees I’d get up and push her down to her knees to suck me off. But I’m practically pinned to the bed with her stare. And to tease me more, she bites down on her lip, letting a moan slip through.
