Crossing the Line

Chapter 1Leah's P.O.VHe had me trapped between the wall and his body, close enough that I could feel every breath he took.“Say it again,” he murmured, his voice low, dangerous.My back pressed into the cold surface behind me, my pulse pounding so loudly I was sure he could hear it. I clenched my fists, forcing myself not to melt into him — not to forget everything I was supposed to remember.“You’re my stepbrother,” I said, my voice barely steady. “This shouldn’t be happening.”A faint smile curved his lips, slow and knowing. “Then why are you still here?”His hand rested at my waist — the implication was there, heavy and undeniable. My breath hitched despite myself.“Tell me,” he continued softly. “What do you want, Leah?”I opened my mouth, then closed it again. My heart betrayed me, racing as though it already knew the answer.I hated him once.I swore I did.Yet standing here, caught between what was wrong and what felt terrifyingly right, the truth slipped out before I could s

Chapter 3Leah's P.O.VSky looked at me strangely, the look in his eyes was as if he were trying to pass a message. Perhaps, signalling me to come over like his personal maid, and do as he had instructed.I rolled my eyes, but went to him anyway. I pushed my way through to the front, stretched the bottle of water to him, and he took it.The girls gasped and glanced at the lucky girl, whom Sky had accepted. When they saw it was “Leah”, their gaze turned hateful. Of course I knew what they were thinking.“Why would Sky choose her, of all people? What was so special about her? And since when did they become this close?” And blah, blah, blah.I, on the other hand, was angry within myself. Everyone was staring at me weirdly, and the girls were unusually silent. Everyone's gaze was fixated on Leah, Sky, and the girls. Just the kind of attention I would've appreciated — if I were famous.“Great!” I muttered under my breath.I wanted to leave this place, so badly, as if I'd be infected by the

Chapter 5 Eliana's P.O.V “Is your daughter in this hospital?” the old lady asked, and I shook my head.I explained everything to her, but obviously, she couldn't understand a word I was saying, because I was crying and speaking at the same time.“It's okay,” she patted my back. “Just calm down and talk slowly, okay?” she said and handed me a handkerchief.I nodded and wiped my tears, but they kept rolling down.Minutes later, I had calmed down, and was finally able to speak coherently. “I'm worried about my daughter,” I started.“The last time I saw her was before I left for work in the morning. On my way home, I caused an accident, and that was how I came to the hospital. I've been trying to call her but she's not picking up, and she hasn't even responded to the texts I sent her during the day.”“How old is your daughter?” She asked.“She's almost eighteen,” I responded.“Oh dearie, just stay calm and take a deep breath. I'm sure your daughter is alright. You've been through a lot

Chapter 7Eliana's P.O.V “You had a fever, and had been unconscious since last night. When I got home this morning, you were still in your school uniform,” I explained. “How are you feeling now?” I asked.“I'm fine,” she responded.The doctor entered, and after confirming that she was okay, I sighed in relief.“Are you hungry?” I asked Leah, and she gave a slight nod. “Okay, I’ll go get you some food and fruit. Be good, okay?”On my way out, I spotted a plastic bag on the table. It was the same one I had used to buy fruits last night.“Excuse me, did you see the person who dropped this?” I asked the nurse who was fixing the drip on Leah.“Yes,” she nodded. “He said you left it in the car.”I was puzzled at first before I remembered the man from last night, whom I had brought to the hospital. ***I had bought food for Leah, and after feeding her, I peeled some fruits for her. I hadn’t had time to chat properly with Leah until now.“How was school yesterday?” I asked.“It was fine,”

Chapter 9Eliana's P.O.V“There’s something you’re not telling me,” Leah said. My heart skipped a beat. How did she know? “Nothing gets past your sharp eyes,” I said with a smile. “I’ve just been worried about you, that’s all,” I said, hoping she would take her mind off it. “It’s not that, Mom. You’ve been acting off since today, and I feel it’s not about me.” Each word she said made my heart pound faster. I was extremely nervous. I didn’t know how to tell her. The last time I was jobless, she wanted to get a job by all means, but I was able to convince her then to stop. But now, she is much older, her resolve stronger. “You’re worrying too much over nothing. Trust me, everything is fine,” I said and stirred the hot soup, fixing my gaze on the bowl.Then she suddenly asked, “Is it about work?” My fingers twitched, and my movements stopped. “What do you mean?” I asked with a fake smile. “I noticed you haven’t been going to work, and it’s unlike you. Were you fired?” Bang! She hit t