Chapter 3

Izzy

I dragged myself through the front door way later than I meant to, legs aching from running around the rink all day trying to get decent shots while Riven acted like I was invisible except when he wanted to glare at me.

The house was lit up like always, and right away Mom and Mr. Holt were on me in the hallway, both talking at once with these worried faces that made me feel like a kid who missed curfew even though I was twenty and just out with my girls.

“Isolde, we’ve been trying to reach you for hours,” Mom said, waving her phone like proof. “Where were you? We wanted Riven to pick you up from that bar so you didn’t have to take a ride home alone this late.”

“Yeah, could’ve called,” I muttered, kicking off my shoes and already feeling the annoyance build because I knew what was coming. “Or texted. Whatever. I’m fine, I got back okay.”

Riven was right there on the stairs, arms crossed, looking freshly showered and pissed like he’d been waiting just to argue. “Why the hell would I have her contact? She’s not my responsibility. I’ve got practice tomorrow, not babysitting duty for the new stepsister who can’t even answer her phone.”

I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt. “Oh please, like I wanted you showing up anyway. I can handle myself, thanks. And maybe if you weren’t such a dick all the time I’d actually pick up.”

Mom jumped in fast, hands up like she was refereeing. “Enough, both of you. This is exactly why we need to fix this right now. You’re family. Give each other your numbers. Riven, hand over your phone.”

Mr. Holt nodded right behind her, all serious. “Yes, exchange contacts. No arguments. Isolde, you save him and he saves you. We’re not doing this separate lives thing under one roof.”

Riven groaned loud, like this was the worst thing ever, but he pulled out his phone and shoved it at me. “Fine. Whatever makes them shut up.” Our fingers brushed when I took it and it sent this stupid spark up my arm that I hated. I typed my number in quick, saved myself as “Don’t Call” in his phone just to be petty, and tossed it back. Then he did the same in mine, muttering under his breath the whole time about how this was ridiculous. I saved him as “Don’t Call” too, smirking a little even though I was still mad from the morning and everything else.

“There. Happy now?” I said, holding up my phone to show Mom. “Can I go sleep? It’s been a long day of shooting your son looking like he hates the world.”

Riven snorted. “At least I look like I belong on the ice. Unlike some people’s photos.”

“Kids,” Mr. Holt started, but I was already heading upstairs, ignoring the rest of whatever lecture was coming. I shut my door hard, flopped on the bed still in my clothes, and tried to crash. But sleep wouldn’t come. I tossed and turned for what felt like forever, sheets twisting around my legs, replaying every shitty thing he’d said since I moved in. The way he yelled about me and Mom being broke, how he looked at me like I was some intruder trying to steal his life. Disrespectful asshole. Who did he think he was? My face got hot just thinking about it, and not all of it was anger. That morning in his bed, the way his arm felt, and now seeing him on the stairs all fresh out of the shower… it was messing with my head bad.

I sat up after maybe an hour of this, heart pounding with frustration. “Screw it,” I whispered to myself. I was going to tell him off once and for all. Stormed down the hall to his room, didn’t even knock, just pushed the door open ready to yell. And there he was. Butt naked. Fresh from the bath, towel in his hand but not wrapped around anything, water still dripping down his chest and lower. Everything on full display. Big. Really big. My mouth fell open and I just stared, brain short-circuiting.

“Close your big mouth and get the fuck out,” he snapped, grabbing the towel finally and yanking it around his waist, but it was too late. I’d seen it all.

I blinked hard, face burning, but the words spilled out anyway because I was still pissed and now embarrassed on top of it. “I came to tell you to stop being such an annoying piece of shit! You can’t keep treating me and Mom like we’re nothing. I can’t even sleep because of how disrespectful you are, and now this? Why is it so big anyway? What the hell, Riven?”

His eyes went wide, jaw dropping. “What the fuck did you just ask me? Get out, Isolde! Now! Are you serious right now?”

“I am serious,” I shot back, not moving even though my legs felt shaky. “You act like you hate me being here but you walk around like… that. I didn’t mean to see it but now I did and I can’t stop thinking about how disrespectful you’ve been and why the hell is your dick like that and…”

“Leave!” he yelled, pointing at the door, face red and voice cracking a little like he couldn’t believe this. “This is my room. You barged in. Go back to yours and stay there before this gets any weirder.”

I backed out finally, slamming the door behind me, my whole body buzzing. Heart racing, skin hot, I practically ran to my bed and buried my face in the pillow. No way. No way I just asked my stepbrother why his dick was so big. What was wrong with me? I couldn’t sleep at all after that. Kept tossing again, but now it wasn’t just anger. Every time I closed my eyes I saw him standing there naked, water on his skin, that thing hanging heavy between his legs. My thighs pressed together and I felt myself getting wet, like actually dripping, which made me groan into the pillow. “No,” I said out loud, sitting up fast. “No, no, no. This is not happening. He’s my stepbrother. Annoying asshole. Stop it, Izzy.”

But my body wasn’t listening. I remembered that guy from the club the other night, the one who’d been flirting hard and gave me his number right before everything with Riven blew up. I’d saved him as “Don’t Call” too because I wasn’t sure if I’d use it, but now… now I was ready to stop being a virgin like I’d said. Maybe texting him would distract me from the mess next door. I grabbed my phone, pulled up the contact, and started typing before I could chicken out.

Hey, it’s Izzy from the club the other night. Still up?

His reply came fast, like he’d been waiting or something. Izzy! Hell yeah I remember you. That smile and the way you danced. Been hoping you’d text. What’s up?

I bit my lip, typing more, feeling bold even though my hands were shaking. Couldn’t sleep. Thinking about stuff. You?

Same. Thinking about you actually. You free to chat dirty? Been hard since I saw your pics on my phone.

We went back and forth quick after that, messages flying, him getting excited and typing all these things about what he’d do to me. I was shy at first, answering short, but then he sent a video. Naked vid of him jerking off, hand moving fast on his dick, groaning my name low like he meant it. My eyes widened and I watched the whole thing, breath catching, getting even wetter between my legs.

Your turn baby, he texted right after. Send me something hot. Want to see you.

I hesitated, staring at the screen. “Okay, I can do this,” I whispered. But when I slipped my shorts off and got my phone ready to record, fingers between my legs touching how soaked I was, my mind wasn’t on the club guy at all. It was on Riven. On what I’d seen in his room, how big he was, the way he’d yelled at me to get out but his eyes had lingered. I made the video thinking of him the whole time rubbing myself, moaning soft into the quiet room, dripping wet and whispering stuff I shouldn’t. It felt dirty and good and so wrong. I hit send without thinking twice, forwarding it to the “Don’t Call” contact because that’s who I had open from earlier.

Then I waited, heart pounding, staring at the screen for a reply. Minutes ticked by. Nothing. I scrolled up and that’s when it hit me. I’d sent it to the wrong “Don’t Call.” The one for Riven. My stepbrother. Not the club guy.

“Oh my god,” I yelled, loud enough that I clapped a hand over my mouth right after. Devastated didn’t even cover it. My stomach dropped like I was falling off a cliff. I stared at the sent video, the one where I was clearly touching myself thinking of him, and panic hit hard. “No, no, no, this can’t be happening. Fuck!”

I tried deleting it for everyone, mashing the buttons fast, but the stupid app said it was too late . It wouldn’t go away. I threw my phone on the bed and paced the room, face burning hotter than ever, mind racing with all the ways this could blow up. He was going to see me like that. Naked, wet, moaning. Thinking about his dick. I wanted to die. But I couldn’t just leave it. I needed to get a hold of his phone, delete it from there before he woke up or checked or… god, what if he replied? What if he was looking at it right now?

I stood there frozen, breathing fast, wondering how the hell I was going to sneak into his room again without making everything worse. This was a nightmare. My stepbrother had my video.