Lahat ng Kabanata ng MY STEPBROTHER'S RETURN: Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 70

The night air feels heavy, suffocating in its stillness, as I sit by the window staring into the forest's endless darkness. The wooden walls of the small house creak faintly, and the faint chirping of crickets serves as a reminder that the world outside is alive, even though it feels like we are frozen in time.My thoughts are racing, tangled in a mess of emotions. The brainstorming idea that the world believes Joe and I are dead has shaken me to my core. I keep thinking of my father—of Katherine—and how they must be drowning in sorrow. Every part of me wants to run back to them, to tell them we are alive. To hug my father tight and tell him that he has not lost me and never will. But I can’t. Not yet. However, I feel so awful knowing that we are causing them so much pain.I glance over at Joe, who is lying on the makeshift bed across the room. His eyes are closed, but I can tell he isn’t asleep. His good hand clenches and unclenches the blanket, his jaw tight. The tension in his body

The fool is out of bullets, luckily.He throws the gun to the floor, throwing a punch at Joe. Joe barely dodges the first blow aimed at him, clumsily slashing with the knife in return. His attacker hesitates, and Joe presses forward, gritting his teeth through the pain. He is struggling with this giant goon, but he is showing no intention of claiming defeat against him.Jayden, on the other side, dispatches one opponent with brutal skillfulness, only to turn and take on another. He looks so good in this scene as if he was born for this. As if he has been doing this all his life.Suddenly, a sharp cry pierces the air. My heart leaps into my throat as I see Jayden stagger, clutching his shoulder. Blood seeps through his fingers, dark and vivid under the moonlight.‘Jayden!” I scream, my voice breaking with panic. “Argh!” He groans, his voice sharp with anger. I thought he was going to run back inside for safety, but not. He fires, indulging again with a new strength that is fueled by a

I wake up in Joe’s arms, his steady breath warming my cheek despite the chill of the cave. His arm drapes over me, protective even in his sleep. The cold of the night had been biting, but his warmth had kept it at bay. For the first time in days, I feel a sliver of peace.I tour my eyes around our inhabitant, and my heart sinks the moment I notice something. Mr. Jonathan is nowhere to be seen. Not even his bag of traditional medicines or his weapon. Panic flares in my chest like a match. Where could he have gone? I remember we all dozed off together last except for Jayden.My mind races. Jayden’s unpredictable attitude and Mr. Jonathan’s mysterious behavior still hang heavily over me. What if they have decided they have had enough? And given the way Jayden acted last night, I am not wrong to believe so. Besides, he is Jayden’s father, so of course, he will choose his son over us.Joe stirs slightly, but his face remains serene, his body relaxed in sleep. The pain he has been enduring

I sit on the cold cave floor, watching over Jayden as his breathing steadies. His face is pale, his wounds still fresh, and I can't help but feel a pang of guilt. This web is taking the dimension that I don’t like—catching innocent people who know absolutely nothing about this web of lies and injustice. Not this guy’s stubbornness or his gross attitude warranted him these wounds. But here he is, wounded, because of Joe and me, and fighting a battle that is not his. A battle that he does not know how serious it is.Joe is sprawled a few feet away, leaning against the wall. His sharp eyes never leave me, though he is trying to hide it. This one, sha!The tension between them is suffocating, and the silence feels like it is going to choke me. Each wants to claim me, to have me. I am afraid, that Joe’s words, which I termed meaningless, are beginning to make sense. I thought it was jealousy; I thought it was him trying to be insecure and overprotective of what is his unnecessarily, but I

THE BLAMEMy pacing back and forth is growing with every passing second. My heart is throbbing, calling for Joe! I hate it when he does this."Please come back, Joe! Where the heck are you?” I murmur, pressing onto my chest with one hand, my gaze never leaving the entrance of the cave, wishing and hoping that I would see him walk in any second.But the wait is never-ending, and the hope is fading away with each passing second. There is no sight of him anywhere.“You should not worry about a grownup who has chosen to act like a child. That brother of yours needs to grow up.”I turn to that voice, almost colliding with Jayden with a cup of coffee that I don’t take. I don’t need a fucking coffee, nor do I need his stupid opinion. I need Joe. It has been almost an hour since he stormed out. What if... what if...‘No, B. Don’t entertain that thought.’ My brain screams to me.“I went through the trouble of making it for you. Please,” Jayden pleads, still handing me the steaming coffee.He w