All Chapters of Her Hockey Stepbrother, Her Worst Enemy, Her Beloved: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

TALIA’S POV Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.My mind wouldn’t stop spiraling. I kept replaying everything, over and over, like a broken record. I had messed up bad. All that anger toward Maxton had completely derailed me. I had blown the plan wide open. The one plan that was supposed to guarantee I didn’t end up stuck in New York alone with him.Now? Wrecked.What the hell was I thinking?“Mom, I…” I tried to defend myself, but the words caught in my throat. Nothing came out.Because honestly? There wasn’t a single excuse good enough to explain any of this.So I forced a weak smile, swallowing the lump in my throat as I looked at her. And all I saw staring back at me was disappointment.“Mom, I can explain…” My voice cracked as my eyes darted to Deej and Chris. Even they looked terrified, and I knew then no one was going to save me from this.“Well, you better start,” Mom said, her tone clipped, her expression all sharp.I exhaled, long and shaky. Maybe the truth was my only shot. Isn’t that what p

TALIA’S POV I blinked, convinced my brain was malfunctioning. Because what was I seeing? Honestly, I couldn’t decide if it was horrifying or the exact opposite.Maxton stood there. Six foot three. Completely, unapologetically naked. His body looked like it had been sculpted on purpose, every muscle landing exactly where it should. I tried not to look but my eyes betrayed me, dropping lower until I landed on...yeah. That thing… Not even hard, but huge!!! I couldn’t help but instantly feel like a pervert. My face burned, shame taking over me. Why was I still staring? Why couldn’t I stop staring?“Oh my God,” I muttered, whipping my gaze away like that would erase the last five seconds. I tugged my towel tighter, as if that scrap of fabric was going to protect me from him. Without another word, I slammed the door shut in his face and scrambled for the nearest shirt. Yanking it over my head, I tried to bury the humiliation I was feeling inside. The whole situation was so unbearable, I w

TALIA'S POV“Fuck…” The curse slipped out before I could stop it. I instantly scolded myself. This was going to be harder than I thought.Not even a full day, scratch that, not even three hours in New York and Maxton was already under my skin. It was unbearable.My mind flashed back to earlier, that humiliating moment when he handed me my panties. God. Just thinking about it made me want to crawl under the floor.The way he had dangled it in front of me, all smug, was beyond disturbing. And of course, it had to be that one. The Hello Kitty ones. I had bought it on a whim because I thought it was cute, but cute in the privacy of your own room way. Not in the here’s what you wear around a man way. It was mortifying.My phone buzzed, pulling me out of the cringe spiral. A new message.It was from an unknown number. I opened it, and sure enough it was a photo of the daily schedule Maxton had promised to send.Who knew he had another number to text me from because I blocked the first? Hone

TALIA'S POV“What the hell is she even doing here?” I muttered, pacing back and forth across my room. My brain kept circling the same question, but no answer made sense.Maxton swore they weren’t together anymore, but looking at Bambi waltzing in like she owned the place? Yeah, not exactly convincing. Not that I cared about their relationship, please, I have my own boyfriend. What really bothered me was the possibility that she and Maxton were plotting something against me. Why else would she suddenly show up in New York?It had to be something. Bambi never did anything without a reason.A chill ran through me, and I quickly crossed the room to lock the door. No way was I giving either of them the chance to barge in here and pull something shady.I sank onto the bed, my heart still pounding as suspicion started growing inside me. What game was she playing? What did she want with me?Before I could think too deep, my phone buzzed on the nightstand. Someone was calling me and it was Zek

TALIA’S POVI couldn’t sit still. My heart was pounding like it was trying to break free from my chest. Something was off, so off and for the first time in forever, I felt completely unsettled.Every step I took across the room just made the panic worse. My throat was tight, my head was spinning. Nothing made sense. Absolutely nothing.I needed Bambi’s phone before she left tonight. That was the only way to figure out what she and Maxton were plotting. But every plan I came up with sounded ridiculous.“Ugh, think, Talia. Think.” I muttered, stamping my foot against the floor like a frustrated kid. My hands found my waist, and I just stood there, staring at the blank wall like it might give me an idea.It didn’t.With a groan, I threw myself onto the bed and dragged my hands through my hair. A shaky breath left me as I stared at the ceiling.That phone was my only shot. If I didn’t get it, I would never know the truth. Was the “Zeke” Bambi mentioned actually my boyfriend? Or was I losi