Semua Bab Craving My Stepson: Bab 101 - Bab 110

I stayed in the room while the boys played, though I wasn’t exactly sure why. Maybe it was because I didn’t want to be alone. Maybe it was because Ace’s presence still calmed the lingering remnants of the dream. Or maybe it was because part of me didn’t trust Michael—not after the way his smirk lingered a little too long, or the way he blew kisses when he thought Ace wasn’t looking. Either way, I remained there. Ace sat cross-legged, controller in hand, completely absorbed, his focus narrowed to the pixelated battleground on the screen. Michael sat beside him, leaning forward with exaggerated intensity, his elbows on his knees, controller clenched like it was an extension of his hand. The two of them were locked in another heated match. It was the third since I woke up. And as usual, Ace was losing. Again. Michael wasn’t being subtle about it either; every win came with a dramatic, obnoxious celebration. “OH! OH! WHO IS THE KING? WHO?” he shouted, pointing at himself with both th

Michael’s voice echoed through the entire living room like he owned not only the space but the moment itself. “ACE! COME ON! We’re going back to your room so I can keep beating you! I swear I’ll beat you even more now—especially in front of your girlfriend!” He dragged out the word girlfriend with exaggerated pride, grinning like he’d just revealed the plot twist of the century. Courtney burst into laughter, leaning her head against Ace’s shoulder, indirectly telling me she didn’t have to fight for space in his world because she already had a spot carved out for her. Ace groaned, rolling his eyes as he nudged Michael with his elbow. “You didn’t even beat me,” Ace said, though he was smiling. Michael gasped dramatically. “Oh, so now you’re lying in front of your girlfriend? The betrayal.” Courtney giggled and looped her arm through Ace’s. “You didn’t tell me you were bad at video games.” “I’m not,” Ace replied quickly. “Michael’s just—” “Better?” Michael chimed. “Annoying,” Ace

Ace still stood in front of me, his face red where I had slapped him, his chest rising and falling like he’d just sprinted across the whole house. I wanted him gone. I wanted him erased. I wanted him anywhere but near me—because every second he stayed, my heart splintered just a little more. “Leave, Ace!” I yelled, my voice cracking. “I just told you I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t ever—” “Sabrina, stop—” “Leave! Get away from me!” I didn’t care how loud I was. I didn’t care if the whole world heard me. I wanted him to feel even a fraction of what I felt. The betrayal clawing up my chest so fiercely it hurt to breathe. But then Ace’s eyes widened in panic. “Sabrina—quiet, you’re going to—” “What? Get in trouble? GOOD—” Then he moved fast, way faster than I expected. His hand covered my mouth, and before I could push him off, he pulled me down the hallway and shoved us into the nearest room, shutting the door behind us. My back hit the wall. His hand stayed over my mouth.

I sat at the dining table with my hands folded tightly in my lap, so tightly my knuckles felt cold. The table was already set with roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and a bowl of salad, the usual meal the chef made when Scott wanted something simple. Yet nothing about tonight felt simple. It felt heavy. Tense. Awkward in ways that stabbed quietly under my skin. Michael had left, thankfully, and now only Scott, Ace, Courtney, and I sat around the long table. The seats felt wider than usual, the room quieter, even though Courtney’s voice carried its usual cheer. “So my last semester was really interesting,” she said excitedly, cutting a piece of chicken as she spoke. “We had this weekend retreat at a cliffside villa. Like, a literal cliff. And one of my classmates almost fell off because she was taking pictures!” Scott laughed, amused, genuinely invested. “A cliff? That sounds dangerous. Why would they pick a place like that for students?” “Oh, trust me!” Courtney said, ro

My throat tightened instantly. “Ace, don’t.” “Why not?” His voice rose as he stepped forward again. “Why can’t I say it? Why can’t I tell you the truth instead of pretending I’m happy with someone I don’t want?” “Because…” I backed away once, then stopped myself. “Because it doesn’t fix anything. It doesn’t change anything.” He blinked. “How can you say that?” “How can you not see it?” My voice trembled, but this time I didn’t try to hide it. “Ace, I told you—I don’t want to speak to you anymore. What you did to Courtney doesn’t magically erase what you did to me.” His face fell. “I never lied about loving you.” “You lied by omission,” I whispered. “You let me think there was no one else. You let me fall deeper into whatever this is... whatever we are, without telling me you were with someone else the whole time.” “Sabrina—” “Don’t.” I shook my head, tears threatening again. “Just don’t.” For a long moment he didn’t speak. He just looked at me like I was the ground under his