13

Kailee Bennett 

The post was blowing up as more and more people kept commenting and liking the post. 

Hold up. Is that who I think it is? 

No way Ryder actually posted someone?? 

Man got a girlfriend? What did detention do to you, bro 

Wait… is that Kailee?? She looks so pretty omg

ngl this is kinda cute… didn’t think he had it in him 

This is actually really cute. Didn’t expect this from Ryder of all people lol

My face broke from a little smile to a wide grin as I read the comments and the replies

I don’t know how but they were no hate comments towards me, and that was really suspicious but it made me feel good 

For once, I let myself believe that it was all in my head—my size, the way I felt I looked— maybe I was letting my bullies define me and blurring my own vision of myself 

I couldn’t deny that I still had a problem. Ryder was now bringing me into the limelight and I was used to being invisible. Was I okay with this change? 

Maybe this was what being seen felt like. It was terrifying and addictive all at once.

It was all for Noah to notice me but I don’t think he would even bother after he saw the post. He would think I was off limits because I had a boyfriend 

And our parents?! 

They seemed fine when I walked into the house. They probably hadn’t seen it yet. 

I had to meet Ryder to fix this. 

I stormed to his room. The last time I had been there was when I realized he was my new step brother. 

I opened his door and walked in without even bothering to knock. “Ryder, we have a pro……blem” my words slowed when my eyes landed on Ryder 

Not on Ryder, his back. 

I froze in the doorway before my brain even registered what I was looking at.

Ryder was doing pull-ups, his fingers curled around the metal bar above the bathroom doorframe, his body lifting and lowering with a slow, steady rhythm. His legs were crossed at the ankles, muscles shifting under his skin 

His back… God. His back was ridiculous. Every inch of it looked delicately carved, defined, alive. The muscles between his shoulders rippled each time he pulled himself up, flexing. A drop of sweat caught the light, tracing down the curve of his spine before disappearing into the waistband of his shorts.

I should’ve looked away. I really should’ve. But it was impossible not to stare at the way his shoulders tapered down into a narrow waist, the way every pull made his biceps tighten, the way strength looked so effortless on him.

He dropped back down after another pull-up, his breathing rough and deep, and for a second I forgot how to breathe at all.

He grabbed a towel, dabbing his sweat as he turned to look at me. 

I was still frozen at the doorway, my eyes still on his body. 

‘Stop staring. God, stop staring. He’s your stepbrother. Stepbrother. Emphasis on step. Why is that word suddenly not helping? Kailee, look somewhere else, anywhere else,” I screamed at myself in my head but my body refused to cooperate 

“See something you like?” Ryder spoke up, his voice laced with amusement 

I could already tell he had that stupid smirk across his face, without even looking at him 

At the sound of his voice, I finally brought myself to tear my eyes away from his body and keep them on his face

“What? Ew. You wish. I was just em…just evaluating your form” I spat, begging my eyes to just stay on his face 

He smiled, raising a brow. “Evaluating my form?”

“Yeah. And it needs more work by the way” I realized keeping my eyes on just his face wasn’t going to work so I scanned his room instead 

“Uhm, thanks coach Bennett” he chuckled 

“You’re welcome. Now put a shirt on” 

“Why? This is my room” 

“I need to talk to you and I don’t like seeing amateur bodies when I’ve seen better” I acted nonchalant, hoping my face wasn’t red 

He didn’t argue, he just rolled his eyes and rummaged through his wardrobe until he pulled out a shirt and threw it over his head 

Whew. I could finally look at him without having the wildest thoughts 

“Okay. So what’s up?” He asked, sinking into his bed 

“The post you made on i*******m?”

“What about it?”

“What if Noah sees it? What if our parents see it?” I complained, pacing his room. “Take it down!”

He got up and grabbed my shoulder, stopping me from pacing around. “So? What if Noah sees it?” 

I sighed and held my forehead. “What were you thinking when you posted that picture”

“I don’t know. You don’t deserve the names Sienna and other people called you on that post she made but even after I made her take it down, you still seemed upset so I thought I’d make one that renews the way people see you” he shrugged 

Wait what??

I blinked in disbelief, my heart melting. “You were the one who told her to take it down? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Now you know.” He winked, he left me and leaned against his study table 

I was still in disbelief. I can’t believe I was mad at him for not caring that I was being humiliated by his ex on the internet. “Wait—how did you even get her to take it down? Sienna would rather die than delete something that makes me look bad.”

He grinned. “Told her she had twenty-four hours before I called my dad’s lawyer. Technically, posting someone’s picture without consent and captioning it to humiliate them counts as cyberbullying and defamation. Didn’t think she’d want that on her record.”

My eyes widened and my lips broke into an open smile. “You threatened her?”

“Didn’t have to threaten. Just sent her a copy of the message I drafted. CC’d her parents and the school counselor. She deleted it five minutes later.” He spoke like it was all just a piece of cake. “Guess she’s not as brave when there are consequences.” 

“Oh my God Ryder. I don’t even know what to say” I covered my mouth, my eyes getting glossy. “Thank you”

I didn’t think he, of all people, would ever do that for me. It was probably still to make Sienna jealous, but I was still so grateful 

He extended his hands and I took it. He pulled me to himself. I was standing between his open legs as he was seated on his study table. 

“Nobody gets to use your name for entertainment, Kailee. Not on my watch.”

His thumb brushed over my wrist, light but firm

My pulse jumped so hard I was sure he could feel it, my skin tingling where his thumb brushed 

I told myself to move. I didn’t.