I had no idea who I was kissing.I mean, who would care on a high school graduation night?And best of all, on my nineteenth birthday.It was the perfect night to have such great, forbidden sex.My lips crushed against his, hungry and reckless, tasting the tang of whiskey lingering on his tongue. His hands, large and calloused, gripped my waist through thee thin, light fabric of the sundress I had worn, a soft yellow thing with spaghetti straps that clung to me in all the right places.Beneath it, my nipples were stiff peaks pressing against the flimsy lace of my bra, a fact that hadn’t escaped his attention when his hands slid lower, teasing the curve of my hips.The small house party was just background noise, laughter, music, the clink of glasses, but the only thing I could focus on was him. He smelled like aftershave and sweat, intoxicating in the way danger always is.When his lips left mine and found the curve of my neck, a shaky moan slipped from me before I could stop it. My
The room was dimly lit, shadows flickering across the walls as he knelt between my legs, his broad shoulders framed by the faint glow of the bedside lamp. My thighs were spread wide, pussy wet, his fing rs moved slowly down my inner thighs. Fingers slowly touching my swollen clit. Damn. His eyes locked on mine, dark and filled with desire, as he positioned himself at my entrance.I could feel the blunt head of his cock pressing against me, teasing, stretching the slick folds of my pussy.The anticipation was maddening, and I whimpered, lifting my hips to meet him, desperate for more.“Patience,” he growled, his voice low and rough, sending a shiver down my spine.But I didn’t want patience. I wanted him, deep, hard, all of him. I was a girl who depended on masturbation for pleasure. My interactions with penetration was a dildo. “Please,” I begged, my voice cracking as my hands clutched at the sheets beneath me.He didn’t make me wait long. With one slow, deliberate thrust, he sa
Nine months later.“I want to hold another party, in celebration of you getting into Crestfield!” Elara shrieked through the phone, her voice bright and obnoxiously chipper.“Elara, no. Absolutely not,” I groaned, balancing my phone between my shoulder and ear as I tossed my keys onto the kitchen counter.“Come on, Evie,” she whined, dragging my name out like a kid begging for candy. “You’re officially a college student now. You’re supposed to be wild and crazy. Live a little!”“First of all,” I said, rolling my eyes as I opened the fridge, only to find it depressingly empty. “I got into Crestfield because I had no other choice. It’s not Ravencrest, and it’s not what I wanted.”“Boo-hoo,” Elara mocked, her dramatic tone practically dripping through the phone. “So what if Crestfield isn’t Ravencrest? At least you’re going to college and studying engineering, which is, like, the most Evie thing ever.”I sighed, shutting the fridge door and leaning against the counter. “Elara, do you eve
My mother’s face twisted, her painted lips pulling into a frown as she crossed her arms. “Evelyn Marie Hayes,” she snapped, her voice sharp and full of the authority she rarely earned. “That is no way to speak to your mother.”She was using all three of my names now. It was her favorite move when she was mad or trying to guilt me into submission.“And abandoning your daughter is no way to be a mother,” I shot back, turning away from her.I clenched my fists, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from saying something worse. “Why are you even here?” I muttered, staring at the wall instead of her.She sighed, the kind of exasperated, dramatic noise she always made when she wasn’t getting her way. “If you paid any attention to rich people news, you’d know why.”I turned back to face her, arms crossed over my chest. “I don’t care about rich people and their problems, Mom. I have enough of my own.”Her lips twitched into a smirk, one that made me immediately suspicious. Without a word, she
Elara was here to be my support, but you see my mum?My mum didn’t like Elara. She kept staring at her with this thinly veiled look of disgust, like she couldn’t believe I had the audacity to bring her along.Elara, of course, noticed. She always noticed. But she didn’t care.She sat cross-legged in the plush chair of the exclusive beauty salon, fiddling with the rings on her fingers. Her bright purple hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders, clashing spectacularly with the neon green crop top and plaid skirt she’d chosen for the day. Add in her mismatched earrings, one shaped like a star, the other a crescent moon, and she w I'mas a walking middle finger to the word conformity.“Elara, dear,” my mum said, her voice dripping with forced politeness. “Don’t you think you’d be more comfortable waiting outside?”Elara smirked, leaning back in her chair like she owned the place. “Nope. I’m perfectly comfortable right here. Thanks for asking, though.”I stifled a laugh, earning a shar
It had to be a dream.Please tell me it’s a dream.A nightmare.How in the world did the guy I had the best sex with become my stepbrother?!It was supposed to be a probability of zero, maybe even negative numbers, but here I was, sitting at a dining table so extravagant it looked like something out of a movie. And there he was, Ryder, sitting across from me, his dark hair perfectly messy in a way that made me want to pull it, his lips curled into that same smirk I remembered all too well.His eyes didn’t leave me, not for a second.I tried my best not to blush. Not to give out the signal that we knew each other.Or the fact that I had cleared at those muscles. Moaned and screamed his name as he pounded into me. Okay stop it Evie. Not cool. “So,” he said, his voice smooth as he leaned back in his chair, clearly enjoying himself. “Who are you?”I blinked, my brain short-circuiting under his gaze. “I’m… uh…um…”“Evelyn,” my mum said quickly, cutting in before I embarrassed myself fu
I gulped, stepping back until my back hit the railings.“A coincidence…yeah. I agree.”He chuckled. That deep, rumbling chuckle that rose from his throat and sent a shiver straight down my spine.“Are you nervous?” he asked, cocking his head slightly to the right as he adjusted the sleeves of his suit jacket.I couldn’t help but stare at his arms, at the way the fabric stretched over his muscles, at the veins that bulged with every small movement. I swallowed hard, and his lips curled into that infuriating smirk. He noticed. Of course, he noticed.Before I could think of a response, he took a step forward. Then another.Long strides closed the distance between us in seconds.He placed one hand on the railings behind me, then the other, boxing me in. His face was just inches from mine now, his dark eyes locked on me with an intensity that made my knees weak.“What’s wrong, Evie?” he murmured, his voice low and teasing. “You’re not usually this quiet.”I inhaled sharply, trying to pul
I wasn’t watching where I was going, and the next thing I knew, I bumped into someone.Blonde hair whipped at my face, and I staggered back, muttering an apology.“Watch it,” came a sharp voice.I froze. Riley. Of course.My luck. After kissing her twin brother, I have to bump into her. She stood there, slowly crossing her arms against her chest, her icy blue eyes narrowing as she looked me up and down. Her perfectly styled platinum blonde hair didn’t have a strand out of place, and her lips curled into a mocking smirk that made my stomach twist.“Running off in such a rush, huh?” she sneered, tilting her head. “What’s the matter? Couldn’t handle the attention you were getting out there?”“Riley,” I started, my voice low, “I’m not in the mood for this. We just met…and I don't want drama.”“Oh, but I am, and drama is my second name,” she said, stepping closer. Her tone was sweet, but her words were bitter. “You and your mother really know how to make an entrance, don’t you? Climbing
I stared into his eyes for a half-second too long before I turned away.No smile. No nod. Just... silence.If Ryder was surprised by that, he didn’t show it. But his jaw ticked. Slightly and tightly. Like he was biting down on something sharp.I didn't smile at him and turned on my heels, kept walking without looking back at him. My heart clenched at the feeling of doing that but I didn't care. It's gone. He is a traitor and I don't trust him anymore. I shook my head not wanting to think about the past or him. I didn't want him to ruin my mood. I came here to discover Sienna's goal and use it to my own leverage. I pushed open the glass door and stepped into an exquisite looking ballroom. The ballroom was carved from money—glass walls, black marble floors, spotlights diffused just right to make everyone look more important than they really were. Everything about it was curated for vanity. And tonight? I wasn’t here to blend in.I was here to haunt someone.My crimson dress caught eve
I wore sunshades to cheer practice.They didn’t like that.At all.“Evie,” one of the girls said, tugging her ponytail tighter as she approached, “this isn’t a fashion show.”I didn’t even look her way. Just kept stretching.“It’s the sun,” I muttered. “My eyes are sensitive.”“It’s cloudy.”“I’m sensitive to clouds too.”A few girls snorted behind me. Whispered things they didn’t bother keeping quiet. I didn’t care. I wasn’t here for them. I wasn’t even really here for cheer right now. I just needed to move. To breathe. To focus on anything that wasn’t him.“Where’s Mia?” another girl asked.No one answered.No texts.No calls.Nothing.Vivianne slid into place beside me during warm-ups. Her gaze flicked toward me under her lashes. “You good?”I nodded too fast. “Just busy.”She hummed like she didn’t buy it, but didn’t press either. Thank God.Because if anyone asked one more time, I was either going to cry or scream.And I didn’t feel like deciding.---Later that day, I was in the
Stay calm, Evie. Stay calm.But I was shaking with anger.Not the loud kind. Not the kind that screamed or threw things.This was the kind that lived deep in your bones. That crawled under your skin and clenched your throat and made everything feel too quiet.We were eating takeout on his couch.Ryder was talking about football now. Something about new drills and how Coach Graham was riding him hard about missing a pass last week. His voice was low, familiar.Safe.But I barely heard a word.My fingers were curled around the chopsticks, noodles untouched in the container.He glanced at me mid-sentence, brow creasing. “You okay? You’ve barely said a word.”I didn’t look at him.Not yet.if I didn't say it, I would die from within. Even though I wanted to act as if it didn't matter. It did. It fucking did. So I did it. Even if it would ruin our relationship I said it. “You said you weren’t there.”Ryder stopped mid bite.The room fell silent.He blinked. “What?”I finally turned to
Ryder’s penthouse looked like something off the cover of a billionaire lifestyle magazine. It was sleek, masculine cold in a way that felt intentional. The walls were painted a deep charcoal, the floors a polished dark wood that reflected just enough light from the massive windows facing the city skyline. There was a pool table in the far corner, untouched. Shelves lined one wall, filled with books that looked like they were chosen more for aesthetic than interest.But the living room, yeah, that was his favorite spot. Black leather sectional. Minimalist décor. Everything smelled like cedarwood and ambition.I was curled into the far corner of the couch, arms wrapped around my knees. He stood across from me, hands shoved in his pockets, staring like I was some unsolvable equation.I told him everything that happened with Maya, not that I was hoping for his support. I didn't need it. Not from a liar.“I’m not saying you’re wrong,” he said, voice tight, “I’m saying you need to slow
Dean Marshall.He was the head of Ravencrest’s disciplinary board. Former military. Cold eyes. Voice like gravel. The kind of man who didn’t tolerate excuses and had zero patience for drama. If you got a summons from him, you didn’t sleep the night before.And there he was.His name, listed beside all the others.“He was part of it?” I asked, voice barely a whisper.Maya didn’t look away from the screen. “That explains a lot, doesn’t it?”I swallowed. “The missing records. The cover-up. No investigation. It makes sense now. He was probably paid."Maya nodded. “He has the power to bury anything he wants. And if he was in on it…”“He made sure Liliana’s death disappeared,” I finished for her.I stared at the screen, fists clenched at my sides, heart pounding so hard it hurt.But then—My eyes froze on a paused frame in one of the videos.Two boys.Laughing. Holding red solo cups.One of them was Caden.And the other, younger, maybe seventeen.Was the one person that made my heart skippe
Maya drove quietly for a while, her fingers drumming on the wheel, some low R&B song playing through the speakers. It wasn’t awkward, just… heavy. Like we both had too many thoughts and not enough space in the car to say them out loud.We pulled into a quiet neighborhood, one of those older parts of town with cracked sidewalks, chipped fences, and the scent of fried food wafting through the air. Her house was small, pale blue with flower pots near the porch. To be sincerely speaking, I expected more. Most Ravencrest students, boast about their houses. Homes and how rich they were. This was just unexpected. “This is me,” she said, throwing the car into park.“Cute,” I murmured.Maya smirked. “Wait till you see inside. I know it isn't much, but it's mine and I worked hard for it without my parents help.”I smiled. "Really nice."I followed her up the steps, and the second we got inside, I was hit with the smell of cinnamon and old books. A fan spun lazily overhead, and photos cover
Practice ended with a whistle and a muttered curse under Mia's breath. I barely heard any of it.My eyes were on Maya.She hadn’t come back after storming off. Her stuff was still sitting near the benches. Her water bottle half full. Her bag unzipped.I waited, letting the rest of the team filter out slowly—laughing, gossiping, brushing past me like I didn’t exist.When Maya finally showed up again, she moved fast. Her eyes didn’t meet anyone’s. She just grabbed her bag and turned to leave.I took a breath and moved quickly.“You’re Liliana’s friend,” I said.She froze.Then turned slowly, brows raised, guarded. “Excuse me?”“I heard what you said earlier. About the anniversary. About lighting a candle.”Maya’s eyes darted around like she was searching for an exit. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”“I’m not trying to start anything,” I said quickly. “I just—”“You shou
Ryder turned off the water with one hand, the other never leaving my waist. He wrapped a towel around me with the kind of care that made my throat tighten, then lifted me again—my body limp in his arms, skin warm and slick from the shower.Not because I was weak.But because I wanted him to carry me.I wanted to be held.And he did.He held me like I was something fragile. Like the fire he'd stoked in me hadn’t just burned through the room minutes ago. Like I was still soft under the ash.The bedroom lights were low, the sheets slightly rumpled, shadows dancing along the edges of the walls as he laid me down—gentle, deliberate, like setting something precious into place.He didn’t rush to leave. Didn’t grab his phone. He didn’t even bother with clothes.He just joined me.Pulled the covers over both of us, slid behind me, and tucked my bare body against his chest. His arm looped around my waist. His lip
"I...I can't feel my legs..." I panted, voice wrecked, throat raw, hips still twitching from the aftershock. I ran a trembling hand through my hair, trying to steady myself, still pinned between the mirror and his chest—his cum slowly dripping out of me, thick and warm between my thighs.Ryder didn’t answer right away.He just looked at me.Smirking. Possessive. Still hard.His cock—still fucking hard.God help me.He pulled out slow, and I whimpered at the loss, at how empty I suddenly felt, how my walls clenched down around nothing.Then he dropped me.Not rough—no. But deliberate.I collapsed to my knees with a weak cry, my thighs quivering, muscles useless and slick with our mess. I barely had time to catch myself on my palms before his hand fisted in my hair and yanked my head up to meet his gaze.He looked down at me like I was a treat he hadn’t finished devouring.“You can’t feel your legs?” he mocked, voice husky, dripping with amusement. “Good. You won’t need them for this.”