All Chapters of Sinful cravings for my hockey step brother : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

VIANA. If someone had told me a few moments ago that I’d end up enjoying Vance’s company, I would have laughed and called them crazy. At first, he had been annoying in that calm, know-it-all way that made me want to roll my eyes every five seconds. But somehow, without me even noticing when it happened, that irritation had faded. Now, standing across from him with the blaring music filling the hall, I realized I actually liked talking to him. He spoke with ease, not trying too hard, not trying to impress me either. He just knew things. Random facts, interesting opinions, little observations about people around us that made me see things differently. “So,” he said, leaning back slightly, “you’re the kind of person who pretends not to care but actually notices everything.” I scoffed. “That’s a wild accusation.” He smiled. “Am I wrong?” I opened my mouth to argue, then closed it again. He chuckled softly, like he had won something small but satisfying. I sighed. “Okay, maybe a lit

VIANA. We spent the next one hour reminiscing and talking about the previous evening, ironing things out amongst ourselves. By the time it was time for them to leave, I felt very different from how I had been before they came. Not long after they left, the house finally went quiet again. I stood in the living room, staring at the table like it had personally offended me. Plates were stacked unevenly, empty cans lying beside them. I let out a tired sigh and rolled up my sleeves. As I picked up the plates, my mind kept drifting. My thoughts were messy, jumping from one thing to another, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about last night. I shook my head, muttering under my breath. “Focus, Viana. Just clean and be done with it.” I was rinsing the last plate when a knock came at the door. I froze. “Oh my God,” I groaned, louder this time. “I really cannot have a moment of peace today?” The knock came again, firmer now. Feeling very annoyed, I w

VIANA. The weekend had been a mess—no, worse than a mess if I wanted to be brutally honest. Since that slap and my outburst, I had refused to see Alvin. I didn’t want to hear his voice, didn’t want to look at his face, and definitely didn’t want to be in the same space as him. Every time I thought about it, my chest tightened again. The bus screeched to a stop in front of the school, and I stepped down with my bag slung over one shoulder. Students were already everywhere—laughing, chatting, showing off their cars like it was some kind of contest. I watched a girl toss her keys in the air before catching them, her friends squealing in excitement. I sighed. When is my mom finally going to get a car? I wondered, not for the first time. The car I had almost bashed on my way back from the party had been hers, which she had let me use for the sake of the party. I had perfected my driving skills months back, and yet she had continually said it wasn’t time for me to own a car of my own, ju

VIANA. By the time Emily and I got to the cafeteria, the lunch bell had already stopped ringing. That alone was strange. We were always early—not because we were hungry, but because we liked to avoid Alvin and the crowd that followed him around like he was some kind of celebrity. If we arrived before everyone else, we could eat in peace and leave before he even stepped in. But today, we were late. And I blamed myself. “See?” Emily muttered as we pushed open the cafeteria doors. “If you didn’t take ten years choosing a lip gloss—” “I was not choosing lip gloss,” I shot back. “I was deciding whether I even wanted to eat.” “You say that every time.” “Well, every time feels like a lot.” We stepped inside, and we froze in shock. The cafeteria was empty. It wasn’t completely empty, but emptier than I had ever seen it at this hour. There was no loud laughter. No shouting. No table banging. No Alvin in the center of it all like some crowned king. I blinked. Emily blinked too. “Di

VIANA. As I walked away from him, I felt my throat tight. My eyes burned before I could stop them. I turned my face away quickly, blinking hard. I refused to cry in front of him. “I hate you,” I muttered, the words shaky and small compared to how big the feeling inside me was. I hadn’t taken more than five steps when I felt a hand close around my wrist. “Let go of me!” I hissed, turning sharply to him. He pulled me back, not roughly, but firmly enough that I stumbled into him. My free hand flew up on instinct. I was ready to slap him this time. I wouldn’t hesitate like last time. But he caught my hand mid-air. Now we were standing so close that I could feel the warmth of his breath. It was too close—close enough that my mind flashed back to that night. To what happened. To what shouldn’t have happened. My heart thudded against my ribs. I hated that my body still reacted this way to him. He didn’t look smug anymore. His expression had changed. The smirk was gone. “Viana,” he s