Lahat ng Kabanata ng Theirs to ruin : Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 7

Three months.That was how long Josh had been fucking me in secret under this roof.It wasn’t new anymore. The first time had been frantic and rough against my bedroom wall, his hand clamped over my mouth while Sarah watched television downstairs. Now it was routine. He would wait until the house went quiet, slip into my room without knocking, lock the door, and take what he wanted. Sometimes he was slow and deep, dragging it out until I was shaking. Sometimes he was hard and mean, pinning my wrists above my head and growling filthy things against my neck. He always left before sunrise, and in the morning we sat across from each other at the breakfast table like nothing had ever happened.This morning was no different.Sunlight spilled across the kitchen island. Sarah stood at the stove in her robe, humming under her breath while she flipped pancakes. The smell of butter and coffee filled the room. Richard sat at the head of the table in a crisp white shirt, sleeves rolled once at the

I didn’t hear him come in.I was standing at the counter, pouring leftover coffee into a mug, still half-asleep in one of Josh’s old hoodies that I pretended I hadn’t stolen. The house was quiet. Sarah had left early for a weekend trip with her friends. Richard was locked in his office on a call. For once, it felt like the walls weren’t listening.Then a warm body bumped into my back.“Jesus—” I turned, nearly spilling the coffee.Josh stood right there, close enough that I could smell the soap on his skin. He was 6'1", all lean muscle and easy arrogance, wearing only black sweatpants that hung low on his hips. His chest was solid, abs sharply cut, skin warm-toned and lightly tanned. A few water droplets still clung to his collarbones from a recent shower. His dark brown hair—almost black in this light—was damp and messy, falling over his forehead in loose waves. The sides were cut shorter, clean. A thin pale scar cut through his left eyebrow, and the usual shadow of stubble already l

I almost made it to the stairs.Richard’s voice stopped me in the hallway.“Eliana. Come here for a minute.”He was standing in the doorway of his office, one shoulder leaning against the frame. The late afternoon light coming through the blinds cut across half his face. He had taken off his jacket at some point. His white shirt was open at the collar, sleeves rolled to the elbows. He looked calm. He always looked calm. That was what made it worse.I walked over, keeping my expression neutral. “Yeah?”He didn’t move aside to let me in. He just studied me for a moment, then stepped back and gestured toward one of the chairs in front of his desk.“Sit.”My stomach tightened, but I did as he said. The leather chair felt cold through my leggings. Richard closed the door with a soft click and walked around to his side of the desk. He didn’t sit. He remained standing, looking down at me.“You’ve been quiet the last few days,” he said.“I’ve been busy with school.”“Have you?”The question w