CHAPTER 5

Theodora's POV 

I stood frozen in the doorway, my brain refusing to accept what my eyes were seeing. Nate Henderson. My bully. 

The guy who had his mouth between my legs just hours ago. Standing in Richard's living room, as he belonged here. Because apparently, he did.

Richard's hand was warm on my back, guiding me inside with that too-bright smile of his. He had no idea. No clue that the ground beneath me had just cracked wide open. Emily rushed over, pulling me into a tight hug that smelled like her vanilla perfume. 

She was practically vibrating with excitement, talking too fast about how wonderful it was that we would all be a family now. I forced my lips into something resembling a smile, but inside I was screaming. My throat felt tight and hot, like I had swallowed broken glass.

Nate's face gave nothing away. His jaw was clenched so hard I could see the muscle jumping, and he would not look at me. Not directly. 

But I felt his presence like a physical weight pressing against my chest. Richard led us to the dining room where a breakfast spread covered the table. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, and pastries. It looked like something from a magazine. My stomach churned.

Richard insisted we all sit together "as a family." The word tasted bitter in my mouth. I ended up directly across from Nate, so close I could see the faint scratch marks on his neck. The ones my nails had left. Heat flooded my face and I looked down at my plate, my heart hammering so loud I was sure everyone could hear it.

Emily chattered happily about wedding plans while Richard poured coffee. I picked up my fork but could not make myself eat. Every time I glanced up, Nate was staring at his food with the same intensity I was. The air between us felt charged, dangerous. Like we were both holding grenades and trying not to breathe wrong.

Then his foot brushed mine under the table. Just a light touch, could have been an accident. But the contact sent electricity shooting up my leg and I jerked back so hard my knee slammed into the table. My orange juice wobbled dangerously. Emily reached out to steady it, laughing about how jumpy I was this morning. Richard made a joke about teenagers and too much caffeine. Nate's lips twitched, almost a smirk, and I wanted to kick him for real this time.

"So Theodora," Richard said, turning to me with genuine warmth in his eyes. 

"Emily tells me you're quite the artist. We have a great studio space upstairs if you'd like to use it once you move in."

The words hit me like cold water. Move in. I had been so focused on surviving this breakfast that I had not processed that part yet. Richard kept talking, his voice full of plans and hope. The wedding was in two weeks. Small ceremony, just family and close friends. And after that, Emily and I would be moving into this house. This massive, beautiful house suddenly felt like a trap.

"That's wonderful, Richard," Emily said, squeezing his hand. She looked so happy. Happier than I had seen her in years. Since before Dad died. The guilt twisted in my gut, sharp and mean. How could I ruin this for her? How could I tell her that her future stepson had made me come so hard last night that I forgot my own name?

I could not. That was the answer. I could not.

"Dora, honey, you okay?" Emily was looking at me with concern now. "You've barely touched your food."

"Just nervous," I managed, my voice coming out steadier than I felt. "Big changes, you know?"

Richard smiled at me, kind and understanding. "I know this is a lot. But I promise, we're going to be a great family. Right, Nate?"

Nate looked up then, and his eyes met mine for the first time since we sat down. Dark and unreadable, with something dangerous swimming in their depths. "Yeah," he said slowly. "Great family."

The words sounded wrong in his mouth. Like a threat disguised as agreement. My pulse kicked up again and I forced myself to look away, to focus on the pancakes I was pushing around my plate. Emily and Richard went back to wedding talk, discussing flowers and music, and seating arrangements. Normal things. Things that should have made me feel safe.

But all I could think about was Nate's hands on my skin. His mouth on mine. The way he had looked at me in the library before everything went sideways. Like I was something precious and breakable and his all at once. And now we were supposed to be siblings. Step-siblings. Living in the same house. Passing each other in hallways. Sitting across from each other at dinner every night.

The thought made my stomach flip. I reached for my coffee, needing something to do with my hands, and took a sip. It was too hot and burned my tongue but I welcomed the pain. It gave me something else to focus on besides the boy across from me who knew exactly what I tasted like.

Breakfast dragged on forever. Richard told stories about his work. Emily talked about her nursing shifts. Nate and I said as little as possible, our silence was its own kind of conversation. When Richard finally stood to clear plates, I nearly sobbed with relief. Almost over. I could survive this.

"Nate, why don't you show Theodora around?" Richard suggested, stacking the dishes. "Give her a tour of the house so she knows where everything is."

No. Absolutely not. "That's okay," I said quickly, my voice too high. "I can figure it out later."

"Nonsense," Emily said, already on board with the idea. "You two should get to know each other better. You're going to be living together soon."

The words hung in the air like smoke. Living together. I looked at Nate and saw the same panic I felt reflected in his eyes for just a second before he masked it. "Sure," he said, standing up. "Come on, Teddy. I'll give you the grand tour."

The nickname made me flinch. Only he called me that. Only him. And hearing it now, in front of our parents, felt like a secret being shouted in public. I stood on shaky legs and followed him out of the dining room, my heart in my throat.

We made it to the hallway before he spoke. His voice was low, meant only for me. "This is so messed up."

"You think?" I hissed back, keeping my voice down. "What are we supposed to do?"

He turned to face me, and we were too close again. Close enough that I could smell his cologne, feel the heat coming off his body. 

"We pretend last night never happened," he said, but his eyes were dark and hungry. "We act like normal step-siblings and we never talk about it."

"Fine," I agreed, even though nothing about this was fine. "We forget it."

He stared at me for a long moment, his gaze dropping to my mouth before jerking back up. "Right. Forgotten."

But neither of us moved. The air between us felt thick and electric, charged with everything we were not saying. I could hear Emily and Richard laughing in the kitchen, their voices distant and unreal. This was my new reality. Living in this house. Seeing Nate every day. Pretending I did not know how his breath sounded when he came.

Nate leaned in, just slightly, and for one insane second, I thought he was going to kiss me. Right here in the hallway where anyone could see. But instead, he moved past me, his lips close to my ear.

"Looking forward to being your big brother, Teddy."

The words were soft but cutting, with an edge that made my stomach drop. I turned to face him, ready to snap back something equally sharp, but the look in his eyes stopped me cold. There was heat there. Challenge. Something dark and forbidden that made my knees weak.

He smirked, the expression lazy and dangerous. Then he added, just loud enough for only me to hear: 

"Hope you don't moan my name in your sleep. Walls here are pretty thin.”