All Chapters of On Thin Ice: A Forbidden Step Siblings Affair: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

184 Chapters

It's Your Fault 2

RaelynnEverything blurs.The screaming around the bonfire becomes a distant hum, faces melting into orange shadows that flicker and dance like demons coming for my soul. My knees hit the sand, but I can't feel the impact. All I can see is Gray's bloodied face burned into my eyes, those words on the wall echoing in my mind like a death sentence.‘IT'S YOUR FAULT, SARAH.’"Holy shit," Brandon breathes, snatching his phone back and immediately speed-dialing. "Mr. Hale! Mr. Hale, you need to get down here right now!"He’s pacing around like he’s trying not to crash out. Isabella’s still spaced out, eyes wide mouth open.Students are gathering around us, their voices filled with panic and confusion. Some people are whispering. Someone is shouting questions I can't process. The world tilts sideways, and I think I might throw up.Mr. Hale arrives in a sprint, still in his pajamas, his usually composed demeanor completely shattered. "What's going on? Brandon said—" He stops mid-sentence when

Guilt and Secrets

Raelynn.Isabella turns away, the argument forgotten as she hurries into Grayson's room. Brandon, Edward, and Mum follow, leaving the door open like an invitation I'm too terrified to accept.Gray's sitting up in the hospital bed, and despite the bandages wrapped around his head, he manages a small smile as Isabella throws herself at him. She immediately transitions from relief to scolding—classic Isa—while Brandon settles into the bed beside Grayson, his worry evident.Gray doesn't pay much attention to Mum and Edward hovering by the foot of his bed. But when a nurse adjusts his position slightly, the sight of the IV line snaking into his arm makes me freeze in the doorway.All that blood. All that damage. Because of me."Aren't you going in?"I jump at Mr. Hale's quiet voice beside me, my heart hammering against my ribs.I shift my gaze from him back to the scene inside. Edward's talking now, his hands gesturing in that authoritative way that means Gray's getting a lecture. Gray dra

Are You Mad At Me?

Raelynn.Gray doesn't even wait for Mum's response. He walks directly to us, his movements sharp despite the bandages wrapped around his head, and takes my hand with a gentleness that contrasts sharply with the fury radiating from every line of his body.His eyes narrow as they focus on Mum's raised hand, still frozen in the air from her aborted slap. The look he gives her is absolutely venomous, like he's contemplating all the ways he could destroy her without breaking a sweat.Mum drops her hand quickly, clearing her throat and avoiding his gaze entirely. But Gray looks like he's about to say something that will end her, hospital setting be damned.He looks like he's about to destroy my mother with words alone."Gray," I whisper, tugging at his hand.The effect is immediate. His eyes soften as they shift to mine, the murderous rage melting into concern so gentle it makes my chest ache. He gives my hand a reassuring squeeze, his thumb brushing across my knuckles.I pull him aside, bac

It's Not Your Fault.

Grayson.Something hits my face—soft, warm, wet. The sensation pulls me from sleep like a gentle slap, and I can hear someone breathing heavily above me, quick and panicked.I force my eyes open, blinking through the haze of medication and exhaustion. Rae is standing beside my bed, tears streaming down her face, her entire body shaking.I sit up immediately, ignoring the sharp spike of pain that shoots through my skull. "Sunshine?"She doesn't answer, just pulls me into a tight hug that nearly knocks me backward. Her body is trembling against mine, her breathing still uneven, and I let her hold on as long as she needs to.When she finally pulls back, I brush a strand of hair away from her face, my thumb catching a stray tear on her cheek."What's wrong?" I ask, studying her expression."Someone was watching you," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "When I came back to your room. A man in a lab coat, standing right next to your bed. He claimed to be a doctor, but..." She shake

Clingy But I Don't Care.

Grayson I reach for my phone, answering. "Yeah?"But there's nothing. Just dead air. My brows furrow as I pull the phone away from my ear to check the screen. Still connected, but... nothing. Then the line goes dead. "What the hell?" I mutter, glancing down at Rae. She's watching me with curious eyes.I call Isaac back immediately. Straight to voicemail. "What the fuck?" I try again. Same thing. Rae sits up beside me, concern creeping into her expression. "Everything okay?" I shake my head, frustrated, and toss my phone onto the drawer with more force than necessary. "his line just cut. Now he won't answer."I lie back down, pulling Rae with me. She doesn't resist, settling against my side like she belongs there. We lie in silence for a moment, my mind racing through possibilities. Isaac wouldn't just call and hang up. Not unless— A sharp pain shoots through my head, making me wince and squeeze my eyes shut. "Gray?" Rae's voice is immediately worried. She sits up, her hand find

You're Just Like Him.

Grayson.The entire room falls silent.Rae is still sitting on my lap, mostly because I'm holding her tightly, my arms wrapped around her like I can shield her from Isabella's reaction. My gaze is locked with my sister's, and the look in her eyes makes my stomach clench with dread.Brandon walks closer to Isabella, his voice gentle but firm. "Breathe. In and out. In and out."She scoffs at his attempt to calm her, and then, surprising everyone in the room, she simply turns and walks away without a single word."Well," Jace mumbles from his spot against the wall, "that was better than I expected."But I know better. I know Isabella. Silence is worse than any tantrum she could throw. When my sister goes quiet, when she retreats instead of exploding, that's when you should be truly terrified. The calm before the storm is always deadlier than the storm itself.I turn to Rae, who's studying my face with concern. "Are you okay?"I nod, though we both know it's a lie. "I'll be back. I have t

Barely Restrained.

Raelynn."Look, Rae, I'm sorry." Isaac's voice cuts through the background noise of Yara and Brandon's heated discussion about something I can't quite focus on. I shift uncomfortably, my mind racing through possibilities.On one hand, Isaac could be the psycho stalking me. On the other, he doesn't have any visible scars, and maybe he's just another innocent person being dragged into this nightmare because of me."I shouldn't have spoken to you like that," he continues, his voice softer now. "I was an asshole, but I was just upset. No one likes their friends turning against them."His gaze is fixed on me, intense and waiting, like he's studying every micro-expression on my face. Something about the way he's watching me makes my chest tighten. I nibble my bottom lip, trying to find the right words, but suddenly my head starts throbbing.My heart begins racing, hammering against my ribs like it's trying to escape. My hands start trembling, and I clutch at my chest, struggling to breathe

Therapy Session.

Grayson.The discharge papers feel like sandpaper between my fingers as I sign the last form. I made sure to schedule this for first thing in the morning—7 AM sharp—so I could get out before anyone tried to talk me out of it.Rae's at school. I told her I wouldn't be discharged until tonight, that she should focus on her upcoming exams. She would have wanted to be here, would have insisted on it, and I can't handle her seeing me like this right now.Not today.Brandon leans against the doorframe, car keys jingling in his hand. "Ready to get out of this place?"I nod, not trusting my voice.The drive is mostly silent. Brandon keeps glancing at me through the rearview mirror as I light my vape, the familiar burn in my lungs doing nothing to calm the anxiety crawling under my skin."Gray—""Don't," I cut him off, not looking away from the window. "Just... don't."He falls quiet, but I can feel his concern radiating through the car.When we pull into the parking lot of Rivers Wellness Cen

Let's Pretend.

Raelynn.Earlier."What do you mean Gray's been discharged?" I ask Brandon, shutting my locker with more force than necessary, my eyebrows shooting up.He had approached me immediately after my first period looking sheepish—now I know why. He runs his hand over his crew cut nervously, avoiding my gaze."He left earlier this morning. Didn't want to bother you and all."My brows knit together. I should have suspected something when he said he'd leave the hospital at night, but he seemed so exhausted and I didn't want to make things worse by pushing.Brandon runs a hand down his face, looking older than his nineteen years. "Look, I don't know if I should be telling you this, but I'm worried as hell about him. And I feel like you're the only one who can actually get through to him right now."I turn, giving Brandon my full attention, my chest tightening at the serious tone in his voice. "Tell me what?""Today," he exhales heavily, "today is the worst day of the year for Gray. It's his mum'

Georgia and Reagan.

Raelynn.We're sitting at a corner table in the dimly lit restaurant, fairy lights casting a warm glow across Gray's face. I'm trying to make small talk about the menu, the decor, anything to fill the silence, but Gray seems to be struggling more than he's letting on.He's staring at me with a forced smile, but his eyes keep going distant, like he's seeing something else entirely. Occasionally he winces, his hand moving to his temple where the bandages are hidden under his hair. His plate sits untouched in front of him, the pasta getting cold.He's fighting so hard to be present, to become the carefree Reagan Cooper we invented in the taxi, but I know him too well. I can see the way his mask is slipping, the pain bleeding through no matter how hard he tries to hide itMy chest aches at the sight. I don’t want to add to his burdens, today is hard enough for him."Gray," I murmur, leaning forward. "If you don't want to be here, we can go back. I'm worried I'm not helping—"His eyes wide

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