All Chapters of MY STEP BROTHER, MY RUIN: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

RONAN;By the time I reached the classroom, only a few students had shown up. This school ran on clear rules I had no idea who made. It seemed to be the same even with students in their third and final year. Always moving in packs. At the top sat the golden circle, kids from old-money families, athletes, and anyone with enough influence to make or break reputations in a single lunch period. I had held the top spot without trying too hard ever since I set foot in this school. People moved out of my way in the halls, they laughed at my jokes even when they weren’t funny.Girls like Selene made sure everyone saw them hanging on my arm so they could climb a little higher themselves. Below us were the regular groups, the quiet studious ones, the loud party crowd, the athletes who stuck together, and the new kids who either blended in fast or got chewed up by whispers, the likes of June, joining in mid-semester.I picked a seat in the middle row, close enough to see the whole room but no

JUNE; Today was one of those days I would have preferred to just stay in bed, stare at the ceiling, or just watch my favorite shows while lazing in my house robe. In those days, the only thing that kept me going was Mary's company, either at her house or at mine. One thing I had in common with her was that we both had single parents. Her mom was late. I sat up slowly, the thought of her had crept in. I felt so bad. I hadn't been able to see her even when she had proposed meeting up in a coffee shop. She said she understood I was still trying to settle in when we spoke last afternoon. But the whelp in her voice? Oh, gosh! It was too familiar. I stretched my body, thinking of the new lecturer and why he had asked that I meet him in his office this morning. Was it a crime to have correct answers to questions when others don't? And now I had landed myself in the lecturer's good books, possibly. But I didn't want that. In this college, where every student looked like they were o

JUNE;The truck slowed in front of the building, its engine humming softly as Matthew eased his foot on the brake. The vehicle came to a smooth stop, and for a moment, neither of us said anything.I reached for the seatbelt, unfastening it with a quiet click. “Thank you,” I said, my voice light, almost automatic as I turned toward the door.Then something clicked in my head. My hand paused on the handle. I hadn't told him which house I lived in. How did he know which one? It was the first time he was giving me a ride home, and we hadn't talked about our homes before.Slowly, I turned back to him, my brows pulling together. “How did you…” His head snapped toward me almost immediately, cutting me off before I could finish. His eyes too bright, as if they were fighting to keep something hidden.“I didn’t know,” he said quickly, letting out a short, almost forced laugh. “I just thought I should stop here and maybe ask which of the houses.”He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes shift

JUNE;I pulled the next bag closer, sets of denim trousers arranged neatly. I took each one out gently. My eyes widened at once. These were nothing close to the rags I was used to. The material felt firm and soft at the same time. I placed them carefully into a cabinet, next to the cabinet that held the pretty light yellow dress, and picked up the next bag. A simple classy black dinner dress was inside, wrapped like a jewel. The moment I drew it out the entire closet seemed to smell like money instantly.“Wow,” I gasped, my tongue watered at once. I ran my eyes over the luxury piece in my hands. I had fallen in love with the black midi dress just by draping it over my body, the satin material felt like water against my skin. A tiny flicker lit in my heart. What would Ronan think of me in the dress? My thoughts drifted. Would he look at me the way he did on that first night while I descended the staircase, right before he showed he remained that rude boy?No way, June! That shouldn'

RONAN; I stood leaning against the wall near the back of the party hall, a cold glass in my hand, pretending to sip slowly. The music filtered in slowly. We all waited for Selene to cut her cake. I didn’t want to be here, I didn’t want anything that made Selene see us as what we were not. But when she sent me the hotel room number, the one she had booked for me at the hotel where she was having her party, I knew not showing up would be a big deal for her. But my mind kept drifting back home. To what June might be doing. I had planned on getting her out of her room for something fun this evening. I mean, that girl could lock herself up for the whole year. What was she doing at this time? Locked up still, or snooping around the kitchen in search of stray cakes? I wish I were there to taunt her a little more. A small, stupid smile crossed my face. My body was present at the party, but my mind hadn’t shown up at the party. I was sure I was acting like a lactating mother who