เพลิงรักร้ายจอมใจจอมทมิฬ

Sinful Affairs With My Stepbrother 1 

The New House

Diana’s POV 

The house was way too big. It felt more like a hotel than a home. Everything looked brand new and expensive, and the ceilings were so high that my footsteps echoed. It sounded like someone was following me every time I took a step. I hated it already.

"It’s beautiful, right, Diana?" my mom asked. She was beaming. She held her new husband’s arm like she was afraid she’d fall over if she let go. She looked happier than I’d seen her in years. Honestly, that was the only reason I didn't drop my bags, turn around, and walk back to the bus station.

"It’s okay," I mumbled. My suitcase was heavy, and the wheels made a loud, annoying scraping sound on the shiny floors. I gripped the handle so hard my fingers turned white and started to ache.

We walked into the main hallway. It smelled like lemon cleaning spray and a faint scent of men's cologne. I was trying to figure out where the bathroom was when I saw a shadow move at the top of the stairs. I froze.

"Elijah!" my stepdad called out. His voice was loud and proud. "Come down and say hi to Diana. She’s finally here."

I looked up.

He didn't move at first. He just leaned against the dark wood railing and stared down at us. He looked like we were a boring TV show he was forced to watch. He was much taller than I remembered from the wedding, and his shoulders were broader. His eyes were dark and sharp, like he was looking for a reason to dislike me. He didn't smile. He didn't wave. He just stood there, watching me struggle with my heavy bag.

"Diana," he said. My name didn't sound like a greeting. It sounded like a dare.

"Elijah," I said back. I tried to make my voice sound just as cold as his.

He finally started to walk down the stairs. He moved slowly, like he had all the time in the world. He stopped on the very last step, which put him just a few inches taller than me. It got very quiet. My mom shifted her feet and looked at the floor, clearly feeling how awkward it was.

"I’ll show her the room," Elijah said suddenly. He didn't ask if I wanted help. He just turned his back on me.

"That’s perfect," my stepdad said. He was totally oblivious to the frost in the room. "We’ll go start on dinner. Take your time, kids"

As soon as our parents walked into the kitchen and the door swung shut, Elijah’s face changed. The "polite" act was over. He turned back to me, his eyes narrowing.

"Your room is at the end of the hall," he said. His voice was low and mean. He didn't reach for my bags or offer to help me with the stairs. "Do me a favor and stay on your side of the house. I don't like people touching my stuff, and I definitely don't like people in my space."

I felt a rush of heat in my chest. I wasn't going to let him bully me on day one. "I don’t want to be near you either, Elijah. Trust me, I’d rather be back in our tiny apartment than in this giant museum with you."

He took a long step toward me, getting right into my personal space. I had to tilt my head back to look at him. I could smell his cologne now it smelled like rain and something woody. It was a good smell, a really good smell, and that made me even angrier. I didn't want him to smell good.

"Good," he whispered. He leaned down slightly, locking his eyes onto mine so intensely that I actually forgot to breathe for a second. "Then we have a deal. Stay out of my way, keep your mouth shut, and maybe we won’t have a problem."

He didn't wait for me to respond. He turned on his heel and walked off toward the back of the house, leaving me standing alone in the middle of the hallway.

My heart was thumping so hard I could feel it in my throat. He was rude, arrogant, and a total jerk. But as I picked up my bag to head upstairs, I realized my hands wouldn't stop shaking.