Chapter 4 - wedding

Joan's POV

When I saw who my future stepbrother was, I felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me. It was the boy I had rejected at the school dance. The boy I had hurt so badly. The boy I had never expected to see again.

I stood there, frozen in place, unable to move or speak. I couldn't believe that this was happening. I had no idea how to react. All I knew was that I felt incredibly uncomfortable and I wanted to be anywhere but here.

But I knew I had to stay and face the music. Even though I felt like my world was crashing down around me, I knew I had to keep it together. My mother was so happy about this wedding, and I didn't want to ruin it for her. So I took a deep breath and tried to put on a brave face.

As I looked at Fredrick, I could see the shock and confusion in his eyes. I felt a pang of guilt, knowing that I had caused him pain in the past. But I also felt a surge of anger, knowing that he had put me in this position in the first place. In the middle of the dinner, I stepped out to receive some fresh air and to enhance my digestion because I was already having indigestion at the sight of Frederick. As I stood outside, trying to catch my breath, I heard the door open behind me. I turned around and saw Fredrick standing there. My heart started pounding again, and I felt a wave of panic wash over me.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, his voice sounding slightly nervous.

I swallowed hard, trying to gather my thoughts. "I just needed some air," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper, trying to sound polite.

"Are you okay?" he asked, taking a step closer to me.

"Do I seem okay?" I snapped.

"You should not be okay actually, because you are about to come into the real hell." He replied.

Weeks passed and the wedding day came all too soon. The preparations were in full swing, and the venue was bustling with activity. I tried to keep busy, helping with last-minute tasks and trying to stay out of Fredrick's way. But it was impossible to avoid him completely.

I saw him from time to time, his face etched with nervousness and stress. I knew he was dreading the wedding as much as I was, for different reasons. But we both had to go through with it, for our parents' sake. The wedding ceremony went off without a hitch. The vows were said, the rings were exchanged, and we were officially step-siblings. I tried to keep a brave face throughout the whole thing, but inside I was a bundle of nerves.

As the reception began, I took a deep breath and prepared myself for what was to come. I knew I would have to dance with Fredrick at some point, and I dreaded the thought. But I knew I had to do it for the sake of appearances. The DJ announced the first dance, and Fredrick came over to me, a nervous smile on his face. I forced myself to smile back, trying to keep my cool.

"Ready?" he asked, offering me his hand.

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Let's do this," I tried to sound confident.

He led me out onto the dance floor, and we began to sway to the music. I kept my eyes focused on his shoulder, trying not to meet his gaze. But I could feel his eyes on me, and I knew he was just as uncomfortable as I was.

After the wedding, my mother and I moved into my stepfather's place. Fredrick gave me a cold welcome and I could feel the tension in the air as we all entered the house. My mother was beaming, thrilled to be starting a new chapter in her life. But Fredrick and I were both tense, our bodies stiff and our eyes avoiding each other.

We went through the motions of settling in, but the atmosphere was strained. I tried to keep my distance from Fredrick, but it was impossible in such a small house. Every time we crossed paths, I could feel the tension radiating off of him.

I was finally done unpacking and I retreated into my room to rest. I jolted awake as I heard a noise in my room. I sat up in bed, my heart pounding as I tried to make sense of what was happening. Then I saw him - Fredrick - standing in the doorway. My eyes widened in alarm, and I tried to scramble away from him.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, my voice shaking. "Get out of my room!"

He held up his hands in a gesture of peace. "I'm not going to hurt you," he replied, his voice soft and pleading.

I crossed my arms, my body tensed in anger. "That's not the point. You have no right to be in my room, let alone try to talk to me like this. We're not friends, we're not even acquaintances. We're just step-siblings, and that's all we'll ever be."

He hung his head, a look of shame crossing his face. "I know," he said. "But I just wanted to try and make things right between us.

I shook my head, my patience growing thin. "There's no way to 'make things right' between us. You can't just waltz into my life and expect everything to be okay. You treated me horribly in the past, and that's not something I can just forget about."

He looked at me, his eyes pleading. "I know I was wrong, I just want to make things better. Can't we at least try to get along?"

I sighed, feeling exhausted. "I'm not saying we can't be civil to each other."

He moved closer to me and rushed me in a hug.

"What...." I tried to pull away but his grip was strong on me.

"Can't we at least hug ourselves? Or are we not allowed to?" He asked.

I immediately pulled away, "I never permitted you to hug me." I reminded him.

"You are too pretty not to be hugged." He remarked.

I instantly felt butterflies in my belly, it was the first time a guy was calling me pretty and it felt really good.

"Well.... I'm flattered." I shyly muttered.

"I can make you more flattered, I can also make you scream my name." He boasted as he went back to lock the door of my room. "Our parents are fast asleep, you shouldn't worry about them. I want to make you feel like a woman." He added.

And we had a heated romance, it was the first time for me.