Lahat ng Kabanata ng To Tempt My Stepbrother: Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 70

The video is viral. I know that was the plan but I didn’t think it through.  Has Calum seen it?  Will he hate me? Be furious?  I pace the empty corridor, my footsteps echoing like a warning. I’m home alone. Dad and Dani went for evening mass because they couldn’t meet up this morning. They invited me but I had no interest in going. I haven’t stopped thinking of Calum and the deleted account. I thought deleting the account after I uploaded the video would end it but some people already created a fanpage of them.  They are so stupid but not as stupid as I am.  What if he finds out?  He mustn’t. What if I try to earn his forgiveness before he finds out? I rush to the kitchen with only one intention in mind. My phone lights up with a message from Rose. She wants to know why the video and pictures she sent me are circulating under someone’s account. I make up a lie that earns me the rolling eyes emoji. As far a

I’m stunned. Everyone but Calum and I leave to watch the first group singing. I drum my fingers against my hip. My nerves are on fire, my insides are quivering with intense fury. I am a time bomb waiting to explode. Calum folds his arms on his chest, cold and unbothered by my reaction. We were over this. The solo belongs to me.“Why?” I whisper.Unshed tears burn my eyes but I don’t give them an escape. I’ll not appear weak in front of him. He scoffs. “You are asking me why?” Reaching into his pocket for his phone, he taps on it for a few seconds, then thrusts in my face. I gulp. “Did you or did you not make this video to spite me, Cathy?”It’s the TicToc video I made and it’s playing on mute. I wipe the tears rolling down my cheeks. “I’m sorry.” “I’m sorry too.” Brows furrowed in annoyance, Calum shoves the ph

We did it. We won. I’m trying not to freak out. I have been keeping calm since the announcer mentioned Carlton High as the winner. Since Jackson dropped me off but once I’m alone in the corridor, I swing my hips and stretch my arms in a happy dance. The gold medal dangles on my neck, I lift it to my lips and kiss it. Yes. “This one’s for you, mum,” I mutter to the sky, holding it up so she can see it. Every step of the way, I felt her presence. It wouldn’t have been possible without her. And him. His annoying self.“She would have been proud of you,” comes from behind me. I jump. Calum rocks forward on his heels. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.” I refuse to smile, only nod. Tucking the medal into my gown, I resume the walk to my room. “Cathy.” Faster. I walk faster. I don’t want to ever talk to him. Hi

The girl in the mirror looks like me. Blue eyes. Freckles. Pouted lips. But her hair. Her hair is black, its natural colour. The door to Amelia’s bathroom swings opens while I’m doing my inspection and I drag the beanie over my head. No one has seen the makeover yet. It happened after Jackson left the house. A post breakup makeover. New me and all that shit.Jumping into the bed, Amelia drags the bowl of popcorn from me. I sit straighter and adjust the pillows, hitting play on the movie we were watching before she left to use the toilet. “So you two broke up?” she asks, picking up from where we left off. She stops chewing for a moment to stare at me. I pause the movie and flip position so I’m flat on my back and the popcorn bowl is on my stomach. “I think so. Yeah. He didn’t say anything. But I’m done.” The scene with Jackson replays

I shove a spoonful of ice-cream into my mouth, leaving stains on the corners of my lips. Amelia makes a funny face. She hands me the tissues to wipe off the stain and my mind torments me with a picture of Calum and me in this same position. I kick those thoughts out of my mind. Today is the beginning of Operation Forget Calum. It has been going okay so far. I haven’t checked his social media. My phone is on silent mode. I am doing okay. Slowly but surely, I will get there.A yawn escapes me and Amelia laughs. We spent all day playing around her house. “You’re sure you don’t want to spend the night?” she asks. “No.” Her sister is back. I wouldn’t want to ruin the sisters’ bonding experience for them. Voices rise and fall around us but they sound distant. I chose our booth for this purpose. Privacy. “I’m fine. Need to go home to face him.” Her smile dims. “Not looking forward