Chapter 1 1. Escapade with my step-father

The evening carried an easy warmth, the kind that made people linger outside a little longer. The sky glowed orange with the sinking sun, casting a gentle light over the gathering. The scent of steak drifted through the air, mingling with the sound of laughter and clinking glasses.

Family and friends filled the space, their voices overlapping in cheerful tones. My stepfather and mother moved among them, beaming as they shared stories and greetings with neighbors. Plates were full, beer foamed over mugs, and wine poured freely, keeping the conversation lively. Almost every adult found themselves caught up in the comfort of food, drink, and company, as the night settled in around us.

I stretched out by the pool, phone in hand, trading silly photos with my best friend, Debby, while sipping more wine than Mom would ever approve of. She was too busy laughing with the neighbors to notice, and honestly, no one wanted her strict rules spoiling the mood.

Mom and I never got along, we clashed over everything, big or small. My stepfather often found himself caught in the middle, trying to calm the storm between us. I pitied him for it sometimes, the way he bore the weight of two stubborn women under one roof.

When Mom remarried, I resented her choice. He was younger than she was, and I refused to give him the respect he deserved, brushing off his efforts to be a father figure. Over time, though, I couldn't ignore the way he carried himself, the patience he showed even when I pushed him away. He was twenty-nine, I was nineteen, and that complicated things more than I cared to admit.

He'd been patient with me, too patient.

I pushed back, rolled my eyes, called him names when Mom wasn't listening. Yet he never snapped. Sometimes I wondered if he pitied me, or if he knew the storm I carried. Maybe that was why I noticed him more than I wanted to.

Our house was a battleground: Mom and I clashing, him standing between us like a soldier with no armor. I pitied him for the role he didn't ask for. But pity has a way of curdling into something else, something messier. And once that thought lodged itself in my mind, I couldn't shake it.

By the time the sun dipped lower, I could already feel the wine humming through my veins. I watched Mom from across the yard, her laughter too loud, her hand clutching a half-empty glass as if it were a trophy. She thrived in crowds, glowing in attention, while I sat apart, simmering with thoughts she'd never understand.

My stepfather moved differently. He didn't need the spotlight; instead, he hovered on the edges, checking in on guests, offering a hand where it was needed. Every time I caught his eye, I felt something twist inside me, a mix of defiance, curiosity, and something darker I dared not name.

My phone buzzed again, and I glanced down to see Debby's latest stunt, a grainy photo of her at some beach party, pressed close to a shirtless stranger, the caption taunting: "I bet your mom wouldn't allow this."

I shook my head, half laughing, half exasperated. Debby thrived on pushing boundaries, and she knew exactly how to get under my skin. A second message popped up before I could even type back:

"I wonder how your stepfather would feel about seeing you in the bikini we picked out last week."

I froze, the words glowing on my screen. Trust Debby to play devil's advocate, fanning sparks I'd tried so hard to smother. She always knew where the cracks in my resolve were, and tonight, with the wine swirling in my veins, even with the house unusually loud, her voice in my head was louder than my own conscience.

She was dangerous, and she knew it. But the worst part? She wasn't wrong.

The thought came uninvited, curling through my mind like smoke. I saw him slip back into the house, and before I could stop myself, my feet followed. Hesitation tugged at me with every step, but my pulse only climbed higher. I moved carefully, quiet as a shadow, not wanting Mom to notice.

Once inside my room, Debby's voice was louder than ever, daring, teasing, relentless. I shut the door behind me and leaned against it, a nervous laugh bubbling up before I could swallow it back. My hands shook as I pulled open the drawer.

The bikini lay there like a secret waiting to be confessed. I slipped it on, heart hammering, and when I finally turned to the mirror, I froze. The reflection staring back at me stole my breath, bolder, sharper, more dangerous than I had imagined, my nipples were hard as a nickel, looking through the mirror I could see it almost pierce through the thin fabric of the bikini top. A smile tugged at my lips, nervous yet undeniably thrilled.

For the first time, I wondered if Debby had been right all along.

I pressed myself closer to my door, every sound on the other side amplified by my racing heartbeat. Bryan's footsteps carried down the hallway with an unhurried rhythm, each one landing in perfect time with the pounding in my chest. When I heard the creak of their bedroom door opening, my breath hitched.

He went inside, the latch clicking softly behind him. Still, I lingered, palms damp, nerves crackling beneath my skin. I couldn't explain it, why my feet began to move before my mind caught up, as though they had a will of their own.

Down the hall I crept, every step deliberate, every shadow sharper. My pulse surged hotter with every inch I closed between us, until hesitation blurred into something else, something reckless.

The stream of water cut off, followed by the rustle of fabric. My breath caught, I knew he was almost finished. I should've run back to my room, but my body betrayed me, frozen in place like a guilty shadow.

The door creaked. A sliver of light widened across the hall floor, stretching toward my bare toes. My chest tightened as Bryan stepped into view, his hand still on the knob.

For a split second, his eyes swept the hallway, and nearly landed on me. I shrank back into the corner, holding my breath so tightly it ached. My heart hammered against my ribs, each beat a deafening drum in the silence.

He paused, frowning faintly, as if he'd sensed something. The moment stretched unbearably long. Then, with a small shake of his head, he pulled the door shut behind him and walked toward the bedroom.

Only then did I exhale, trembling, adrenaline racing through me. I pressed a hand against my chest, whispering Debby's name under my breath as if she could hear me.

My body me betrayed me again, My nipples got even harder and more sensitive,

then I took even more daring steps as I tip toed to the door, It was not completely shut, lucky me, then the door shifted again, and suddenly the reality of where I was, and who might see me, crashed down.

I fumbled for my phone, nerves buzzing, half-thinking I'd text Debby about the madness of what I'd just risked. But the sharp beep of a notification betrayed me, slicing through the silence.

Bryan turned his head. His eyes caught mine in the half-light, wide with surprise. I froze, every thought scattering, trapped like a deer in headlights.