CHAPTER 5: PART OF THE SMITH'S FAMILY

~ALLISON

I hate to say but all Landon told me the day he barged into my room unannounced was true. The night of that day, I had gone to my Mom's room to confirm it all. 

“He is right, Allie". She began, tears gathering at the bottom of her eyes.“For some time now, Gary has been the one protecting us from Alvin's threats.”

I sighed.

Alvin, my dad, had been a thorn in our sides for years. I was still young, aged 5 or so when it all began—He blamed my Mom for being the reason why his life turned miserable… Up until now, I still can't place a finger on how my Mom caused his deranged state. 

Everyone knew he ruined his own life with drugs and all, but he refused to accept responsibility instead he keeps pinning the blame on us. Mom eventually had to flee with me to escape his abuse when she could no longer bear him.

For years, we lived in fear, watching our backs in case he showed up one day to harm us and that's the reason Mom was super suspicious of anyone who came near our home. She lives in constant fear that they might be sent by my Dad to spy on us or worse end her.

Alvin was a psychopath, but he is still my father, and I loved him. That is until Mom showed me his recent threatening text messages the same night I confronted her about the truth about Landon's words. 

Every ounce of love for him died after reading through the tons of threats—they left me heartbroken and terrified. My dad showed no signs of changing; if anything, he had become even more dangerous.

And then came Gary's decision to protect us from Alvin after taking a genuine interest in Mom. 

This was what she had longed for since when we left Alvin and became rogues–A protector. Someone ready to stand up for us if Alvin decides to act on his threats. And… I foolishly wanted to ruin it.

Jerk-face was right. Something was really at stake if I ruined my Mom's relationship with his father and that was our safety. 

And that brings me to the present. I had accepted to be part of the Smith family and bear whatever humiliation my stepbrother would undoubtedly be throwing at me after the wedding event.

He sat two tables away, looking dapper in his tuxedo and pretending to be on his best behavior—a façade that would surely crumble after the wedding.

A touch on my shoulder snapped me out of my reverie, and I turned to find Jason grinning down at me.

"You came!" I exclaimed, pulling him into the seat beside me. I planted a kiss on his cheek, leaving my lipstick mark.

He chuckled. 

"Do you miss me that much?" He asked, sliding his hand under the slit of my dress, gently caressing my inner thigh.

"I do, but—”

"We are in public” He completed my sentence. Grinning, he leaned closer, whispering into my ear."How about we find a private spot?"

A wave of heat spread across my body on hearing his suggestion but before I could formulate a response, someone approached our table. It was Samantha, my cousin.

"Here's your order, since you've apparently lost your legs," she remarked sarcastically, placing a plate of pasta and chicken in front of me.

"Thanks, cuz. You're the best," I said with a cheeky smile, picking up my cutlery.

"Does Mister Handsome care for some?" Samantha asked, her smile overly bright as she scrutinized Jason, as if he were some rare gemstone she'd just discovered.

"Sam, he's my boyfriend," I revealed, expecting she would tone down her seductive smile.

Instead, it widened even more."Oh, I see. Nice catch, Allie," she chirped, pecking the corner of my lips before sauntering away.

Turning to Jason, I nervously chuckled as I explained, "She acts a little weird when she is tipsy."

"Oh, I see—" He paused, suddenly glaring over my shoulders. 

Glancing in the direction Jason was glaring, I realized he was glaring at Landon who in turn was staring at us. It didn't take me up to a second to figure out why Jason had a dirty look on his face. 

He was still upset about Landon hanging up on our call that fateful day and not the other awkward incident.

I hadn't mentioned it to Jason– Landon barging in on me, naked. And I wasn't planning to spill the beans either. I knew Jason well enough to predict he'd start a fight with Landon if I did. That's the last thing I wanted, so I decided to keep it to myself.

I tugged on Jason's arm causing him to look back at me. "Let it go, please—."

He cut in on me, sounding overly pissed. “Seriously Allie, I don't like the idea of him being your stepbrother. I don't fuckin trust him”

“I don't trust him either, but I've to make my Mom's marriage work out. Jason please just let it–”

“Come on, Allison. Don't tell me you don't notice how he is staring at you?, like some meal he could eat” 

His words made me look back at Landon's direction. He is just boringly staring back at us and I don't see anything odd in his expression either.

Looking back at Jason, I could feel his anger building. I placed my hand on his chest trying to calm him down as this was not the right place to blow it off. 

Beaming a bright smile, I cheerfully said.“Just look at my face instead and forget about him”.

Luckily, he did as I said. His gaze became more intense as he watched me eat. 

"You sure you don't want some?" I asked, meeting his eyes. 

He chuckled. "I guess I'll need some, seeing how you're munching on that chicken breast." My cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"You're such a prick," I teased back, chuckling.

He grinned. "Only for you, babe." Planting a kiss on my cheek, he got up. "I'll go grab a plate. Don't miss me too much."

I chuckled and nodded as he walked away.

Not long after Jason had left, a hand suddenly appeared from behind me, dropping a bottle of water beside my plate. I frowned and looked up to see Landon.

"You can't eat without water by your side unless you plan to choke on your meal," he said flatly. "Hurry up. You're to take the toast." With that, he walked away before I could say anything.

I scoffed, utterly irritated by his pretense of caring – maybe he'd even poisoned the water. I knew I was being paranoid, but I couldn't shake the feeling. I just couldn't trust him.

"Damn," I gasped suddenly, feeling a wave of nausea.

Clamping my hand over my mouth, I hurried away from the table towards the restroom area. As I reached the hallway, I could barely hold back the urge to retch, so I hastily pushed open the first door I came across, not bothering to knock.

To my utter dismay, I was faced with the most shocking sight of my life.