Total pages in book: 188
Estimated words: 179812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 899(@200wpm)___ 719(@250wpm)___ 599(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 179812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 899(@200wpm)___ 719(@250wpm)___ 599(@300wpm)
Jupiter
Are you saying you do it to help me?
My Toxic Stepbrother
I’m saying I’m already there. And your laundry hamper is six feet away.
Jupiter
Did you clean up after your siblings, growing up?
Because that’s what makes the most sense, doesn’t it? The reason why he does these little things for me. The reason why his brain would even go there. For all intents and purposes, he’s this badass athlete who seems like he doesn’t have a care in the world. You wouldn’t expect him to do stuff like that. Like you wouldn’t expect him to do all the other things that he so obviously has done—still does—for his siblings.
My Toxic Stepbrother
What is it about you and me growing up?
Jupiter
Tell me or you’ll find my window closed tonight.
My Toxic Stepbrother
No, I won’t. Because you want me sneaking in just as much.
But not exactly. Stellan had those chores covered. Although sometimes, when I’d get back from practice and he’d be too tired after herding Ledge or Callie, I’d get some of it. Trash, stains, toys. Stuff he couldn’t get to. It’s not a big deal.
But I think it is. I think if someone did these little things for me, my life would become so much easier without me noticing. My life is already becoming easier. With the AC and his cleaning up in the middle of the night. And the fact that I sleep so much easier knowing he’s watching over me. I’ve never been able to do that before. Not in my home and not in this apartment.
In any case, cleaning up after me is not the only thing he does. He steals stuff too. The bottle of my shampoo missing from my ensuite bathroom; my favorite perfume gone. The morning I find my perfume missing, I text him, huffing.
Jupiter
Did you seriously steal my perfume?
My Toxic Stepbrother
How else am I supposed to smell you?
Jupiter
Um, you AREN’T supposed to smell me, you creepy asshole!!!
My Toxic Stepbrother
How else am I supposed to wait three days?
Jupiter
Well, you’re going to be waiting until the end of time because I’m NOT having sex with you!!!!!!
My Toxic Stepbrother
Yeah, you are.
I’ll be inside that pussy, fucking it, banging it, tearing it the fuck up before the week ends and you know it. And you’re also going to stop being fucking stupid and let me help you with your bills.
Jupiter
No, I’ll keep being stupid and die poor and starving just to prove you wrong!!!!!
Times like these make me think I should just tell him the truth. I should tell him that I saw him first. Oh and he also has a half sister, Snow. And I never ever told them about any of it, even though I befriended their whole family and wormed my way into their lives, because I didn’t want to bother them.
I should probably also tell him, since he wants to help me with money, that my mom has been calling me incessantly. I know she wants money—her abundant texts and voicemails have been clear enough—but I’ve been ignoring her calls. I also know it may come back to bite me in the ass, because if I don’t pick up she may show up at the apartment and stress Snow out, which is the last thing my sister needs.
I should tell him all of that so he’ll stop the torture. Stop this craziness, this madness. Stop making me fall deeper and deeper into him.
Chapter Ten
He’s standing across the backyard, in a group consisting of Ledger, Riot, and Reign, who is visiting from Florida for the weekend.
Instead of a drink like the rest of the guys at Callie’s get-together, he’s got a bowl of strawberries with him like a crazy psycho. And every time he bites into one with his sharp teeth, I have to clench my thighs tightly. Every time I notice a drop of juice running down his jaw, my pussy pulses and I can feel my own juices dripping out and wetting my panties. And every time he swallows and his Adam’s apple bobs, I watch it like my life depends on it.
He's doing it on purpose, isn’t he?
He knows I’m watching him because he always knows. I honestly should not have agreed to go when Callie invited me. I knew he’d be here. But today was my day off, from both jobs, and I haven’t gotten to see him all day and I know it’s stupid but I think by now we know, I’m really fucking stupid when it comes to him.
“Hey.”
I jump at Callie’s voice and look away. “Hey.”
“Oh my God, you have to tell me,” she says excitedly.
Even though I know she can’t possibly be talking about what I think she’s talking about, my heart still pounds fearfully. “Tell you what?”
She points to her glass of piná colada. “The recipe for this.”
I breathe out with relief. “Oh, yeah. Sure, of course.”