I took a deep breath as I descended the marble staircase, my fingers lightly tracing the smooth glass railing. The morning sun filtered through the tall windows, casting a warm glow across the marble floor of the entrance hall, but it did little to ease the tension knotting in my stomach. My heart pounded as I kept my head slightly lowered, my hair draped to one side, praying it would be enough to hide the faint marks Lucas had left on my neck. I had watched a tutorial on YouTube about how to hide hickeys using foundation and tried to follow the instructions, but I wasn’t confident in the results. The mere thought of someone noticing—Dev or, worse, Caspian—sent a wave of nausea through me. The house was eerily quiet, the usual hustle and bustle of the Salvatore family subdued in the early hours. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I paused. Ian was standing with a plate full of sandwiches in the hallway connecting the entrance hall to the family room. He looked up when he
“Missed you at dinner yesterday.”My breath hitched slightly, and I struggled to maintain my composure under Caspian's scrutinizing gaze. He was standing right across from me, his eyes dark and calculating, and for a moment, I was terrified he might notice something was off.“Good morning, Caspian,” I replied, hoping my voice didn't betray my nerves. I swallowed hard, trying to maintain my voice. “Sorry about that. I wasn’t feeling too well, so I decided to rest early,” I lied, my voice surprisingly steady despite the turmoil churning inside me.Caspian’s eyes flickered with something I couldn’t quite place—concern, perhaps? But just like the day before, as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, replaced by his usual stern expression.“I see,” he said, his tone even. “You’re feeling better now, I hope?”“Yes, much better,” I lied, forcing a smile on his way. He didn’t respond, but his gaze lingered on me a moment longer, and I felt like he could see right through me. My heart was racin
When everyone had finally finished eating, I started helping Dev carry plates to the kitchen, while Caspian escorted a still-protesting Leo toward the main door. The youngest Salvatore had been reluctant to go to school after learning I would be visiting the town with Neel.“Please, Caspian, just let me stay home today,” Leo pleaded after wriggling free from Caspian’s grasp. He folded his hands and dramatically dropped to the ground. “I promise I won’t cause any trouble. I just want to hang out with Kat and Neel too, please, big brother. I’ll do all my schoolwork later; my studies won’t be affected.”“Stop being silly, Leo,” Caspian said, picking Leo up like a doll and tossing him over his shoulder. “You’re going to school. I’ll take you to Seattle over the weekend.”“I don’t want to! Please, let me stay home today!” Leo tried to break free again, but Caspian had learned from his earlier mistake and was holding him tighter this time.“And I’ll take you to Disneyland when I’m free. Tha
After the kiss, the air between Dev and me felt heavier, laden with something unsaid, something we were both hesitant to acknowledge. He pulled back slowly, as if unsure of what to say. His eyes, still soft and warm, darted around the kitchen before settling on mine again.“Katherine…” His voice was barely above a whisper, his fingers trailing the side of my face gently as if weighing what he was about to say.I swallowed hard, not sure where to look or how to respond. I crossed the line again. This time with another brother. Guilt surged through me like a wave, followed by something far more unsettling—a longing I couldn’t quite place. However, with Dev, it felt different. It wasn’t like when I was with Lucas. When Dev and I kissed, something sparked between us that neither of us could fully understand, but we both felt it. Something more than just physical desire, something that scared me.“I’m sorry if that—” I began, but Dev shook his head quickly, cutting me off.“You don’t have
I came downstairs when Dev texted me that Neel was back and waiting for me.My heart still felt heavy, a mix of guilt and confusion swirling within me, but I pushed those thoughts aside. I couldn’t dwell on what had happened with Dev, not right now.When I entered the entrance hall, Neel was seated comfortably on a loveseat, flipping through one of his well-worn books. His fingers moved over the yellowed pages with the kind of familiarity that only came from revisiting old favorites.I remembered Leo telling me during breakfast that Neel had read through every single book on the shelves in the entrance hall. I still found that hard to believe because there were hundreds of books in the hall, from various genres and countries.“Hey,” he greeted with his usual soft smile, looking up as I approached. He set the book aside, closing it gently as if saying farewell to an old friend. “Ready for our little adventure?”“Yeah,” I replied, trying to inject some excitement into my voice. In truth
After a while in the park, Neel stood and stretched. “Want to check out the bookstore now?” he asked with a grin.“Only if you promise to buy me ice cream,” I said, giving him my hand to pull me up.He laughed. “Okay, books then ice cream. Sounds like a plan.” He pulled me to my feet, and together, we made our way to the entrance of the park.“An amazing plan,” I added with a smile.We walked in comfortable silence for a while, the sound of the water lapping at the shore filling the space between us. It was peaceful here, away from the chaos of the house, and for the first time since Grandma’s death, I found myself truly relaxing.“So,” Neel began as we reached the edge of the park. “How are you holding up?”His question caught me off guard. “What do you mean?”He smiled knowingly. “It’s a lot, isn’t it? Moving here, adjusting to all of us… I know it can’t be easy leaving your life behind.”I bit my lip, trying to find the right words. At this point, everyone in the house had asked me
As the sun faded behind the horizon, Neel and I rode back together on his motorcycle. We spent a couple of hours at the town’s local museum. The building wasn't anything extraordinary but had its old charm. We spent around two hours inside, moving from one section to another, reading the information on the exhibit labels and taking pictures. Along with a history section, the museum also had zoology and botany departments. There were taxidermies of wild cats, bears and reptiles, fossils and skeletons of extinct species, plant samples from different parts of the countries and various chats describing the living conditions of various plants and animals. The local history exhibits were kind of interesting, displaying the heritage and cultural shifts in the town over the last three centuries. There were many displays dedicated to the native tribes of the region too. That ended up being my favourite section. At first, I thought the museum would be boring, but it wasn’t. Neel made ev
I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at my phone. The screen glowed, showing the time. 1:55 AM. I’d told myself that I wouldn’t wait up for him, that I didn’t care if Lucas showed up or not. But here I was, counting down the minutes, my stomach in knots. It was stupid. I knew it was. I didn’t want this, didn’t want him. At least that’s what I kept telling myself whenever bits of consciousness kicked in to let me know that I kissed his brother, the same day. My fingers hovered over the phone, and the urge to send him a message rang when I saw he was online on I*******m. But what would I even say? Ask where he was? Or why he hadn’t bothered to text? No. That would make it seem like I cared too much. Like I was waiting for him. And I couldn’t give him that kind of satisfaction. Different thoughts and questions came to my mind. I fell on my bed telling myself that I was being stupid. That it wasn't me. I couldn't possibly wait for a man, especially Lucas, to show up and pla
“One...” I was able to speak it out, raising my ass due to the sting that I felt afterwards. It hurt! It really did hurt! “Good! You remembered the rules.” He sounded almost impressed, and for some reason, that brought a smile to my face. “Not many remember the rules on their first time. I guess the internet articles did teach you a few things.” I was about to respond when without warning he spanked my other butt with the same force, if not more. I felt the vibration of the impact travelling up to my heart, and down to my crotch. I moaned. “Ah… two!” I remembered to count, clenching my jaw to hold back the cry. I wanted to turn back and finger myself because the sexual tension in my core was rising to a new height. “I thought you would forget about the rule, and I will get to hit you double the amount,” he said mockingly, and I braced myself for the next impact. “Not my day, I guess. Well, in that case, I've to make these forty spanks worthwhile.” The next hit didn't come
Caspian was sitting on my bed, leaning back a little with his strong arms at his sides. His legs were spread to give me a good look at his package. His features were sharp and flawless. He was truly God's sexiest creation and the most handsome among all the brothers. His forest-like dark green eyes undoubtedly beckoned me to be drawn into them since the first day I saw him. I couldn't wait to run my hand through his dishevelled, dark-brown hair, but somehow I felt like he was planning something else. I felt butterflies in my stomach seeing the first few buttons on his white shirt undone, revealing his bare chest. Just a glimpse of the muscular chest behind the fabric made me feel hot. I felt the urge to run my tongue down his body. He glanced at his wristwatch and then up at me, causing me to close my eyes in anticipation. He knew what he was doing to me, coming dressed up in his work clothes instead of the jeans and T-shirt he was wearing during dinner. “I-I… I don't know wha
“You knew he was watching us?” I didn't know what to think anymore. Caspian’s confession hit me like a blow to the chest. My trust in him, the way I defended him against Lucas, suddenly felt like a mistake. That familiar nagging voice, the ‘what if’ in the back of my mind, screamed louder than ever. I couldn't completely let go of the doubts, and Caspian saying he knew Lucas was watching us in the backyard brought back the fear. I took a deep breath and turned toward him. Caspian, who usually carried an air of confidence and control, now looked almost… remorseful. His head was down, and his eyes downcast as if he could already read my thoughts. “Don’t,” he whispered, his voice breaking as he continued. “Please, Kat. Don’t go there.” “W-why?” My voice was barely steady when I questioned, because my emotions were in a chaotic swirl. “Why didn’t you stop when you saw him? Why didn’t you tell me then?” He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his dark hair before sitting dow
The dining room was alive with chatter, the brothers bouncing between casual banter and stories while Mom and Derek listened with amused smiles. The long table was set with a spread that smelled heavenly—roast chicken, fried rice, creamy mashed potatoes, spicy crabs and grilled vegetables. Normally, the warm, lively atmosphere would have made me feel comfortable, but things were different that night. While I was extra cautious with Ian sitting beside me, nervously scratching his knuckles, I also had to deal with Caspian, who was directly across from me. He wore a dangerous smirk, and every so often, he would run his toes along the length of my legs. On the other hand, since the start Lucas had been quiet. He wasn’t talking like the others. Even Ian made a few comments when Derek addressed him, but Lucas just shrugged whenever someone asked him something. Instead, he’d been watching me. More specifically, he’d been watching Caspian, whose occasional glances my way seemed to int
Harry’s eyes looked for answers when he stepped into Ian’s room. His gaze was bouncing between the two of us like he’d stumbled upon something scandalous. “What’s going on here?” he asked his tone light but carrying the curiosity of someone who definitely knew something was brewing between them but wasn't sure. “Is everything alright? Ian?” I glanced at Ian, who had stiffened at the question. His fingers were fidgeting with the edge of his shirt, and the nervous energy radiating off him was almost visible. He didn’t want to talk about what had just happened, and I couldn’t blame him.I knew I couldn't leave it to him to answer because if he was socially awkward, there was also a huge possibility that he had trouble lying. I never had that difficulty, maybe because I was born to two of the biggest liars in the world. “It’s nothing important,” I said quickly, offering Harry a small smile. I stood, brushing imaginary dust off my jeans. “I was just asking him if there was something he
The moment I stepped back into the house, I felt a sense of relief. The cool air brushed against my heated skin, and I felt the shift in energy. My earlier interaction with Caspian still lingered in my thoughts, but as I walked toward the kitchen, I noticed Ian standing near the counter. He was pouring a glass of water, his shoulders stiff and his movements looked almost robotic. His silver hair was slightly dishevelled, and when he turned briefly to glance at me, I caught the telltale redness in his puffy eyes. My heart tightened. Ian rarely showed any vulnerability, preferring to stay quiet and blend into the background. Seeing him like this sent alarm bells ringing in my head. I forgot about Caspian almost instantly and walked towards him. “Ian,” I called gently, trying to understand what must have happened. He froze, his glass of water clutched tightly in his hand. He didn’t meet my eyes. Instead, he turned to stare at the counter as though it might give him an escape. “I
Mom was talking animatedly to Dev, her laughter light and carefree, while Derek engaged Caspian in a conversation about work. I sat there, feeling like an outsider, as Mom and Dev talked about the places she visited with Derek. It hurt me to see that Dev knew more about her than I did, and the way she talked with him showed how strong their relationship was. However, she read my mind because her eyes lit up all of a sudden as she forced the conversation towards me. It was a hollow try, but I let her, to see what she had for me. Just ten minutes ago, she commented about us making plans for the day, but she already forgot about it and made plans with Leo to check out a local spa and then cook dinner with Dev and Derek. “Kat,” her voice drew attention, her manicured hand on my arm. “Do you need anything, sweetheart? You’ve been awfully quiet.” I shook my head, managing a small smile. “No, I’m fine. Just a little tired, that's all.” Derek glanced over, his brows furrowing. “Y
The morning light stirred me awake, and I yawned, blinking at the warm haze filling my room. It was a Saturday, meaning no classes. Thus, I was planning to sleep till the afternoon, or at least stay in bed. But, that changed when I heard muffled sounds coming from below—voices, laughter, and some shuffling. I sat up, listened closely, and felt a slight tug of curiosity gnawing at the edges of my sleepy mind.After brushing my teeth and splashing some cold water on my face to wake up, I quietly made my way down the hallway, the gentle hum of conversation growing louder with each step. As I descended the staircase, I slowed, catching a glimpse of the scene unfolding in the entrance hall.There, sitting together on the long couch, were Derek and… my mother.I stopped short, taking in the sight of her. It felt like ages since I’d last seen her. She looked different, almost like a stranger wearing my mother’s face. She seemed… lighter somehow, more carefree. Her features were softened b
A gentle knock at the door brought me back to the present.I was laying on my bed, thinking about calling Camilia, but couldn't bring myself to do it. The reason was the same once again, I didn't want to bother her with my problems. Besides, judging from her Instagram pictures, I knew she was visiting Miami with Phineas. “Kat?” Dev’s voice came softly through the door. “Dinner’s ready, we will be serving soon, so come downstairs.” He didn’t come inside and I was thankful for that. I wasn't feeling like talking about what had happened. It was one of those things I never wanted to think about ever in my life again. I wanted to forget, to remove the memory for good, but I knew it wouldn't go away easily. I called out a quiet, “Thank you,” and heard his footsteps fading down the hall.I got up slowly, feeling the weight of my conversation with Lucas still lingering like a fog. I went to the bathroom, splashing water on my face, letting the cool liquid soothe the leftover heat from my