All Chapters of Addicted to My Stepbrother : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The boat bumped against the wooden dock with a soft thud. I stepped off first. My sneakers hit the planks and the salt air rushed into my lungs right away. No city noise. No engines. No people talking over each other. Just waves and the creak of the boat behind us. Julian followed with both bags. The path up to the house was narrow and sandy. Palm trees leaned in on both sides. ​The house itself sat open and modern, all glass and light wood. No staff waited at the door. No one took our bags or offered drinks. The quiet felt thick, like it had weight. ​We walked inside. The main room opened straight to the ocean. A long couch faced the water. The kitchen looked unused. Julian set the bags down near the stairs and turned to me. ​“You wanted isolation,” he said. “This is it.” ​I dropped my bag on the couch and took in the room. “It feels bigger than I thought. And way quieter.” ​“That is the point of a private island.” He walked to the windows and stood with his hands in his poc

Julian stood at the rail beside me, jacket zipped higher than usual. The island shrank behind us until it was just a dark line on the horizon, then nothing.I kept looking back anyway. Stupid. There was nothing left to see.​Neither of us said much on the way. The engine just hummed. I could still feel sand in my sneakers, rubbing against my toes every time I moved. Every time the boat hit a swell, I felt the change, the air getting thicker and heavier.Behind us was a flat rock where we’d argued for an hour over a crab’s name. Behind us was a boathouse he hadn’t set foot in for years, even if he still talked about it like it was last week. I kept my mouth shut. There was no way to say any of it without sounding like I was begging him to stay this way.The car was parked right at the edge of the dock, engine running. The driver took our bags without saying anything. City air hit as soon as we pulled out exhaust, low traffic, that burnt industrial smell. I watched the water get smaller

​The door slammed shut. ​The heavy silence inside the room hit like a wall. It smelled like Andrew’s cologne. Heavy and Cheap. ​I stood near the corner of the bed. My legs shook so hard I had to lock my knees to stay up. Cold sweat ran down my back. My throat was dry. I couldn't look at Julian. ​He sat on the edge of the bed. Hands over his face. Fingers buried in his hair. His chest moved up and down fast. ​Neither of us said anything. Time just dragged on. ​Julian finally dropped his hands. He looked pale under the lamp light. The cold, smooth look he always had was gone. His eyes were red. ​"I sat here," he whispered. ​He stared at his hands. They were shaking on his knees. ​"I sat right here and let him," he said. Voice raspy. "I had ways to stop him. I could have killed him before he touched you. But I sat here." ​He punched the mattress. The bed frame creaked against the floor. ​"I traded you," he spat out. He looked up at me. "I stayed still to save my own skin." ​I k

​Snap.​The charcoal broke right in half.​"Dammit," I muttered under my breath. I reached down into the metal tin and grabbed another piece.​Julian didn't budge. Just sat there on that stupid tall stool, chest bare under the overhead bulb, shoulders back like I told him five minutes ago.​Down the hallway, my mom was still talking. Loud. Laughing into her phone. If she stepped out of her study room right now, she'd be outside this door in three seconds.​I kept drawing. Quick, rough strokes. Collarbone lines. The shadow along his ribs. My hands were already completely black with dust all the way up my wrists.​"You're grinding your teeth, Tamara," Julian said. Low voice.​"Shut up. Hold still."​"You've been staring at the exact same spot for a minute."I glanced up. He was already staring. His Dark eyes locked on mine, like he'd already decided where his hands were going.​It was the same look he had the night Andrew backed us into a corner. The night everything blew up and we stoo

Andrew called us into the sitting room on Thursday evening."I've booked the lake house for the weekend. All of us. Friday through Sunday. No work calls, no distractions. Just family."My mom looked at him. "This weekend?""Yes. The weather's supposed to clear by Saturday. I already arranged the boat. We'll have the place to ourselves."Julian gave a short laugh. "A family getaway. How thoughtful."Andrew didn't react. "It's been a long few months. Pack light. We leave at nine tomorrow."No one argued.The white gravel crunched under the tires the next afternoon as Andrew pulled into the long driveway. The house sat at the end dark timber and glass, right on the edge of the lake.Andrew cut the engine."It really is beautiful out here," my mom said, leaning forward. "So peaceful.""That was the idea," Andrew said. He opened his door. "Quiet week. No distractions."He walked around, opened the door for her, and held out his hand.In the back seat, Julian's arm rested between us. Neithe