One

Lenora

"You're going to hell," my older sister, Esme, walked into my room, gasping in shock at my outfit for my eighteenth birthday.

It was a shimmery black top showing a bit of cleavage, black shorts, and a beaded crystal pearl necklace with matching earrings which was my mum's last gift from my dad before her death

"Gladly," I smiled like a satisfied cat and wiggled my wide hips.

Esme eyed my necklace and scrunched her face, before helping me unbuckle my white gladiator sandals.

"Seriously, Lenora, it's your birthday and not an ass parade. Don't tell me you're still on to your stupid plan of seducing a man old enough to be your dad?"

I stopped laughing and threw her a poker face. 

"Okay, first of all, I don't plan to seduce anyone. My outfit isn't that bad, and secondly, CJ isn't old."

"He's twenty years older than you. Don't be delusional."

I groaned, frustrated that Esme didn't understand that I couldn't control my feelings. 

"All I want is for him to notice me, to see me as a woman, and not just a little girl. He's the only reason I agreed to this stupid party in the first place and it's not like I'm trying to cause any harm."

Everyone expected me to celebrate my eighteenth birthday with a big smile on my face, but I hated it for being a harsh reminder of my mum's death anniversary. She died while pushing me out and to date, I feared having kids. 

 While my friends were giddy with plans of legally getting tattoos, all I wanted to do was curl up in bed with a bowl of popcorn and read steamy romance books.

 But knowing that my dad's friend would be in attendance made it bearable. 

Colton Jaxon, aka, CJ, was many things; My dad's friend, a professor, my best friend's dad, and a god in human form.

We hadn't seen each other in months, yet I couldn't stop craving him like a drug and looked forward to the party only because he would be there. 

Nobody, except Esme, knew my secret of passionately wanting him.

 "Have you gone mad?" She bristled. "You'll end up embarrassing yourself and I'll be here to tell you I told you so."

My mouth pouted into a frown. "You told me to wait until I become a consenting adult. I'm eighteen now and I plan to tell him how I feel about him. What's wrong with that?"

She was glaring at me, folding her arms against her boobs bigger than a Spanish balcony, a huge contrast to my D-cup size. Nature wasn't partial and compensated me with a huge backside instead, and made Esme's ass almost invisible. 

"Fine," she raised her hands in mock surrender. "What if he says no? And what about his daughter? She's your best friend. Do you think she'll accept you as her dad's girlfriend? If the tables were turned, would you want Mariselle to have sex with Dad?"

My heart skipped several beats. Esme was right. Mariselle was my age and CJ's only child. I loved her the moment I set my eyes on her. She was different from my other friends, wild and carefree. 

I tried to use her as a leverage to her dad but whenever I suggested sleepovers, CJ would always say no.

It seemed unlikely that she'd want her bestie as her mum's replacement.

Esme chuckled, sensing my discomfort. "If you still wish to go ahead after my lecture, I wish you luck because you'll be needing it."

I shrugged, applying the finishing touches of my makeup. "I'll do it. Call me crazy, but he needs to know how much I want him. If he's too blind to notice me, I'll make him see me tonight. I'll tell him how much I love him."

After Esme's unsuccessful attempt to stop me, she left and I rushed to my mirror, playing out my fantasies and running a hand over my neck, pretending that CJ's hands were over me. 

 I chuckled loudly and sighed. I met CJ for the first time at sixteen and thought he was a mere crush, but as I got older, my feelings for him grew stronger.

 He made me feel things I'd never felt before, things that made my body tingle with pleasure. 

 And weirdly enough, nobody knew much about CJ. He wasn't from our town and looked different from us, but my dad, who never failed to throw his house open to strangers, had no issues with CJ.

After getting ready, I headed downstairs. This was my chance to make my move to CJ before heading to college, the same one he lectured in. 

Our house, a former church now transformed into a charming house, stood proudly at the street corner with high ceilings and large, arched windows. My dad had music blasting off the speakers and was dancing with my classmates.

 He embarrassed me most times with his long, ash blond hair hanging on his face like seaweed, his matching flowing beards, and his huge eyes shaped like bicycle wheels.

Despite his oddness, I loved him so much. He was my only parent who filled in as my dad and mum. 

We lived in a small town, where people rumored that my mum's death drove my dad nuts because he drank like a fish and never bothered to shave. 

"Happy birthday, Len," my classmates hugged me one after the other. 

Everyone was here. The socialites, the basketball team, and even the nerds. I wasn't the most popular in school, but I could hold my ground.

CJ hadn't arrived and I wasn't feeling the party at all.

One of my admirers, Ronin, who'd been after me since middle school, walked in, shocking me with a huge bouquet, jewelry, and a designer Birkin bag as gifts. 

If he thought he could bribe his way into my heart, he was in for a surprise.

While I was holding my semi-adult party, my dad and his group of friends were on the other wing of the house, drinking and laughing. I kept my eyes on the driveway and the west wing, waiting. 

My heart did crazy flip-flops when CJ's black Range Rover drove in. I raced out and my best friend, Marielle rushed forward, holding a bag of gifts.

"Blame my dad who decided to run all the grocery shopping today of all days and warned me not to leave without him."

She glared at him and continued her rant. My eyes were glued to the driver's side of CJ's jeep.

He stepped out, like royalty. 

My man…

My heartbeat skyrocketed at the sight of his open white shirt that revealed the defined contours of his tanned chest.

CJ was like a magazine model. Dark, upswept hair, tall with a striking face. 

His light hazel eyes met and locked. He gave a brief nod with a face as blank as a chalkboard.

Bummer.

"Happy birthday, Lenora. I suck at getting gifts, but I hope this is quite useful for you."

Despite his coldness, lust invaded me like fire when our fingers brushed. He got me an encyclopedia of forests.

I chuckled loudly, remembering times he acted bored when I asked him questions about wildlife and environmental management, which was his passion.

"Thank you," I managed to say. His eyes crinkled with a half-smile but froze when I lowered my halter top, wishing I had a massive rack like my sister's.

He swallowed hard like a thief caught stealing and looked away. 

Mariselle, ever unsuspecting, ruined the moment by dragging me inside.

"So, are you losing the V-card today?" Her face lit up, and she winked at me. "My dad always calls me unladylike, but at least I'm not humping my teddy every night. Unlike you, who despite all the beauty and sluttiness, still haven't found a boy."

"I don't need a boy. Boys are immature. I'd rather stick with mature men, and I'm waiting for the right one."

She scrunched her nose. "Girl, you need to stop reading those dark books of yours."

I laughed, leading her in while my eyes followed CJ's movements. I was breathless with excitement and imagined what would happen after my confession, hoping his mouth would cover mine hungrily for being a naughty girl.

Thinking about it made blood surge from my fingertips to my toes and a tingling sensation between my legs.

 CJ headed toward Esme's art studio. When I made sure that Mariselle was busy enough to not thwart my plans, I began my search, hoping he'd be alone in one of the empty rooms.

But what I saw made every part of my body jerk with horror. 

CJ was kissing my sister!

My body froze mid-movement and my mouth fell open. This made no sense. I shook my head in a slow, back-and-forth denial, hoping that I was dreaming.

It was as real as the beating of my own heart against my eardrums.

Esme moaned, digging her hands into his hair. I forgot to breathe and my body was shutting down. 

My sister knew my plans to confess my feelings to CJ tonight and tried to discourage me countless times, but here she was, kissing the same man.

"Esme!"

They broke apart as soon as they heard my voice. Esme went completely still, as if her brain had stopped working, and gave me a dazed look.CJ, on the other hand, stared blankly with half-lidded eyes. 

"No," I whispered under my breath, covering my mouth with my hand to hide my shock. 

I pressed my lips together, attempting not to cry. Esme was a heartless bitch. 

"Len, shouldn't you be at the party?" Esme said without remorse. 

My heart shattered and spots flashed in my vision.

"What is g-g-g…"

Raw pain filled my chest and throat, hating so much that I stuttered.

She sighed, moving closer with a small smile. "Len, it's not what you think. He was helping me get something out of my eye."

"L…liar," I gripped the door handle so hard that my knuckles turned white. "I hate you so much!"

 Esme placed her hands on her hips, arching a brow.

"Girl, you're being overly dramatic. Fine, even if you caught us kissing, why should it matter to you? He's not your dad or boyfriend."

I flinched, my feet unsteady as my dad did whenever he got drunk. My only sibling was hurting me and it choked my airways.

"You know what," I heaved loudly, "Go ahead. Make out with him after everything I told you. Be a bitch in heat. I'll just leave and let you continue."

Esme and CJ exchanged glances before Esme's gaze landed on me with a satanic smile on her face. 

"Honey, CJ doesn't even like you. To him, you're a child and…"

Without waiting for her to finish her sentence, I raced upstairs into my room to cry my eyes out. 

My breath hitched and I wailed uncontrollably, glad that the speakers drowned my voice.

Then I rushed to my desktop instead and logged into Eldridge University's website, accepting my admission into the school. 

Eldridge wasn't my preferred choice because it was far from home. But I'd do anything to stay away from Esme and CJ. 

CJ lectured at BroadVille, where Mariselle and I had planned on attending. 

The realization that CJ didn't like me and my sister's betrayal hit like a thunderbolt. They hurt me beyond measure and made me spend the rest of my birthday party on the floor, sobbing and nursing my broken heart.