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Chapter 160

Author: Billie Patsy
last update publish date: 2026-03-15 23:20:16

IVY

I woke up tangled in Noah’s arms on the couch that was never meant for two people.

My back was pressed to his chest, his breath warm against the back of my neck, one arm slung over my waist like he was afraid I’d slip away in the night.

The couch cushions had sagged under our weight, leaving us half-sliding toward the floor, but somehow we’d slept—deep, dreamless, the kind of sleep I hadn’t had in months. His heartbeat was steady against my spine.

Solid. Real. Nothing like the frantic pou
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  • SEVEN NIGHTS WITH MY STEPFATHER   Chapter 239

    CASSIANIt was 3:00 a.m., and sleep was nowhere in sight. I paced back and forth in my room like a caged animal, the wooden floor creaking under my feet with every step. The house was completely quiet except for the distant sound of the lake water outside. But inside my head, everything was loud. Ivy’s sudden coldness, the way she had looked at me earlier with tears in her eyes, the way she had locked herself away — none of it felt right. Something had changed in her. I could feel it in my bones. She had been warming up to me, trusting me, letting me hold her. And now, overnight, it was like a wall had gone up between us.I stopped by the window and stared out at the dark lake. My hands clenched into fists. Then I remembered it — that small moment in the evening when she had smiled at her phone. Just a quick, secret little smile before she noticed me watching. At the time I let it go, but now it burned in my mind. Who was she talking to? Why did she hide the phone so fast?I couldn’t

  • SEVEN NIGHTS WITH MY STEPFATHER   Chapter 238

    IVYI stood there in the middle of the living room, my legs feeling weak, like the floor might disappear beneath me. Everything was crashing down at once. The memories I had tried so hard to push away were flooding back now, clear and sharp, like broken glass cutting into my chest. Cassian’s face, his voice, his touch — they all felt different now. . The lies he had told me since the day I woke up in the hospital made my stomach turn. He had painted us as some beautiful love story, but all I could see were the cracks, the control, the obsession hiding behind every gentle word.I remembered what Noah had said on the dock. "Wait until tomorrow morning. Trust me." Those words were the only thing keeping me standing right now. I couldn’t run yet. I had to play along, even if every part of me wanted to scream.Cassian stepped closer, his eyes full of worry and something deeper — fear. He reached for my hand, but I kept mine at my sides.“Ivy,” he said softly, his voice almost breaking.

  • SEVEN NIGHTS WITH MY STEPFATHER   Chapter 237

    IVYThe walk back from the lake felt longer than it should have. My legs were tired, my mind even more so. The cool night air brushed against my skin, but it did nothing to calm the storm inside my chest.Every step closer to the house brought back the memory of Cassian’s desperate voice through the door, his broken apologies, and that painful flash of my mother’s warning. I didn’t know how to face him. I didn’t even know how to face myself.When I pushed open the front door, the house was lit up but quiet. Too quiet. Then I heard footsteps rushing down the stairs. Cassian appeared in the hallway, his face pale and panicked. His hair was messy, like he had been running his hands through it for hours. The moment he saw me, relief washed over his face, but it was mixed with something sharper — fear.“Ivy!” He crossed the distance in seconds and pulled me into a tight hug. His arms wrapped around me so hard I could barely breathe. “Where have you been? Why didn’t you tell me? I thought I

  • SEVEN NIGHTS WITH MY STEPFATHER   Chapter 236

    NOAHThe moment our lips met, something changed in the air between us. Ivy’s kiss was soft at first, then deeper, like she had been waiting for this as long as I had. I held her face gently, my thumbs brushing her cheeks, pouring every bit of love I had carried through all those empty months into that one kiss.The lake water lapped quietly against the dock, the cool night air brushing our skin, but all I could feel was her. My heart raced so hard I thought it might burst.Then she pulled back suddenly. Her eyes were wide, filled with tears that spilled down her cheeks in the moonlight. I froze, my hands still cupping her face.“Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked, my voice full of worry. “I’m sorry if I—”“Noah…” she whispered. She reached up and cupped my face with both hands, looking at me like she was seeing me for the first time. Confusion crossed her face for a second, then something shifted. Her eyes filled with recognition. She pulled me into a tight hug, burying her face in my chest.

  • SEVEN NIGHTS WITH MY STEPFATHER   Chapter 235

    IVYThe sound of a car engine pulling away woke me up. I opened my eyes slowly, my body stiff and sore. I was still on the floor behind my bedroom door, curled up like I had fallen asleep crying. The room was dark, and the house felt too quiet.I rubbed my eyes and stood up, my legs shaky from sitting there so long. My head felt heavy, but the pain from earlier had faded into a dull ache.I unlocked the door and stepped out. The hallway was empty. I walked downstairs, calling softly, “Cassian?” No answer. I checked the kitchen, the living room, even the small balcony. Nothing. His jacket wasn’t on the hook by the door. I opened the front door and looked outside.His car was gone. The empty spot in the driveway looked cold under the moonlight. He had left late at night, without saying anything. My chest tightened. I didn’t know if he was angry, hurt, or just giving me space. Either way, the house felt bigger and lonelier without him.I went back upstairs to my room. My phone was still

  • SEVEN NIGHTS WITH MY STEPFATHER   Chapter 234

    IVYI stayed curled up on the floor behind the locked door, my back pressed against the wood like it could keep the whole world out. Hours had passed since I ran inside.The sunlight outside had slowly faded into soft evening shadows, and still I hadn’t moved. My phone kept lighting up on the bed with calls from Noah, but I couldn’t bring myself to answer. Every ring felt like another weight on my chest. I didn’t know what to say to him.I didn’t even know what to say to myself. Everything inside me felt uncertain, like I was standing on ground that kept shifting beneath my feet.Cassian had been outside the door for a long time. At first his voice was gentle, then it cracked, and now it sounded like he was crying. I could hear him breathing heavily, like every word hurt to say.“Ivy… please,” he said, his voice thick with tears. “I admit my mistake. Maybe I was just afraid of losing you. I was afraid because no one really cared about me before. Your mother was right about one thing.

  • SEVEN NIGHTS WITH MY STEPFATHER   Chapter 82

    I stood under the shower for what felt like forever, letting the hot water pound against my shoulders until my skin turned pink and the steam clouded the mirror so thick I could barely see my own reflection. My hands shook as I scrubbed between my legs, trying to wash away the evidence of what I’d

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-26
  • SEVEN NIGHTS WITH MY STEPFATHER   Chapter 87

    The apartment felt smaller that night, the walls pressing in like they were listening. Sarah hadn’t left after dinner. She’d just sat on the couch with her knees pulled up, staring at the floor while I cleaned the kitchen, the silence between us thick and heavy. I kept waiting for her to say someth

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-26
  • SEVEN NIGHTS WITH MY STEPFATHER   Chapter 83

    A few days passed in a strange, suspended kind of quiet.No messages from Cassian.No calls.No angry knocks at my door.Nothing.Just silence.The kind of silence that feels louder than screaming.I told myself it was better this way. That maybe he finally understood I needed space. That maybe he

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-26
  • SEVEN NIGHTS WITH MY STEPFATHER   Chapter 86

    The coffee in my mug had gone cold, the steam long gone, leaving a thin, sad film on the surface. Sarah sat across from me at the kitchen table, the torn photos scattered between us like broken promises. The envelope lay open, its flap curled from too many nervous fingers. My scar—the one on my le

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-26
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