All Chapters of We shouldn’t be doing this, Step-brother: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

SiennaThe room was still.The only sound was the fan turning slowly above us, pushing the air around. The night felt heavy and calm, wrapping around us like a blanket.Jaxon lay beside me, one arm resting across my waist. His fingers moved in small, lazy circles against my skin. We didn’t talk at first. We just breathed — slow, steady — like the world outside didn’t matter anymore.I turned to face him. His eyes were half closed, his lips soft, a little smile hiding there. His hair was messy, falling over his forehead. He looked peaceful — and tired in a sweet way.“You’re quiet,” I whispered.He opened his eyes a bit more. “Just thinking,” he said. “About how real this feels. About you.”I smiled a little. “Feels strange, huh?”“Yeah,” he said. “Like if I blink too long, you might disappear.”“You won’t lose me,” I said softly.He watched me closely. “Promise?”“I promise,” I whispered.He took my hand and placed it on his chest, right where his heart was beating fast. “Sometimes I

SiennaThe next day started quietly — or at least it was supposed to. Dad and Jaxon’s mum weren’t back yet.I was in my room folding clothes when I heard loud knocks at the front door, followed by Jaxon’s voice calling, “I got it!”A few seconds later came another, more familiar sound — Ezra’s.“Yo! Hope you weren’t still sleeping, man!”I froze halfway through folding a shirt. Ezra. Of course.I sighed and shook my head, smiling faintly. Jaxon’s best friend had a habit of showing up whenever he felt like it — usually loud, sometimes annoying, always full of energy.By the time I came out to grab a glass of water, the two of them were already in the living room, arguing over what game to play.“You’re trash at this one,” Jaxon said, picking up a controller.“Please,” Ezra shot back, flopping onto the couch. “Last time, I let you win. This time, I’ll destroy you.”I rolled my eyes. “You two sound like ten-year-olds.”Ezra grinned at me. “Morning, Sunshine. Looking all cute this early?”

SiennaThe silence after they left didn’t feel normal. It was the kind that sits heavy in your chest — the kind that doesn’t go away no matter how hard you try to act fine.I didn’t say a word to Jaxon. Not when he asked if I was hungry, not when he offered to make something for dinner, not even when he followed me to the kitchen trying to make me smile.“Come on, Sienna,” he said softly. “You’ve barely said two words since Kendra left. Did something happen?”I just shook my head and kept rinsing a glass that was already clean. My throat felt tight.He sighed and leaned on the counter beside me. “You know I can tell when you’re lying, right?”I still didn’t look at him. I couldn’t.After a few minutes of silence, he gave up. “Alright,” he muttered quietly. “I’ll be in the living room if you need me.”But I didn’t go. I stayed in my room, lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling as the hours slipped by. My chest hurt from holding everything in.When I finally heard the house go quiet —

SiennaThe ride home was quiet. Too quiet.Even Ezra’s usual chatter had faded by the time he dropped us off at the house. Jaxon thanked him and waved, trying to sound normal, but once Ezra’s car disappeared around the corner, the silence fell heavy again.I unlocked the door and walked in first. The house felt different — not just empty, but tense, like even the walls could feel how the day had gone. I slipped off my shoes, dropped my bag by the couch, and sank down slowly.Jaxon stood for a second by the doorway, rubbing the back of his neck. “You didn’t eat much earlier,” he said softly. “You want me to make you something?”I shook my head. “No. I’m fine.”He sat down beside me anyway, close enough that I could feel the warmth of him. “You sure? You’ve barely said a word since we left the field.”“I’m just tired,” I murmured, staring at the blank TV screen.It wasn’t a lie — but it wasn’t the truth either.We sat there for a while in that kind of silence that isn’t awkward but heav

SiennaI must have recorded that voice note five times before I finally hit send.My thumb hovered over the button for a few seconds, my heart pounding so hard it hurt.When I heard my own voice play back in the tiny speaker, it didn’t even sound like me — it sounded scared.“Kendra… I’ve been thinking. Maybe you should just tell Caleb the truth,” I said in the message. My voice cracked halfway through. “You shouldn’t be the one carrying this for us. If it helps clear things up between you two, then please… just tell him everything. Just—just make him promise he won’t tell anyone else. Please.”I ended it there before I could change my mind again.For a while, there was nothing. No blue tick. No reply. Just the small “delivered” mark that sat on my screen like a bad memory.Jaxon walked in quietly from the kitchen, still half-dressed from his morning workout. “You okay?” he asked, wiping his hands with a towel.I nodded, but my chest felt tight. “I sent Kendra a message.”He frowned a