All Chapters of My Stepbrother, My Ruin: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I had no idea who I was kissing.I mean, who would care on a high school graduation night?And best of all, on my nineteenth birthday.It was the perfect night to have such great, forbidden sex.My lips crushed against his, hungry and reckless, tasting the tang of whiskey lingering on his tongue. His hands, large and calloused, gripped my waist through thee thin, light fabric of the sundress I had worn, a soft yellow thing with spaghetti straps that clung to me in all the right places.Beneath it, my nipples were stiff peaks pressing against the flimsy lace of my bra, a fact that hadn’t escaped his attention when his hands slid lower, teasing the curve of my hips.The small house party was just background noise, laughter, music, the clink of glasses, but the only thing I could focus on was him. He smelled like aftershave and sweat, intoxicating in the way danger always is.When his lips left mine and found the curve of my neck, a shaky moan slipped from me before I could stop it. My

Nine months later.“I want to hold another party, in celebration of you getting into Crestfield!” Elara shrieked through the phone, her voice bright and obnoxiously chipper.“Elara, no. Absolutely not,” I groaned, balancing my phone between my shoulder and ear as I tossed my keys onto the kitchen counter.“Come on, Evie,” she whined, dragging my name out like a kid begging for candy. “You’re officially a college student now. You’re supposed to be wild and crazy. Live a little!”“First of all,” I said, rolling my eyes as I opened the fridge, only to find it depressingly empty. “I got into Crestfield because I had no other choice. It’s not Ravencrest, and it’s not what I wanted.”“Boo-hoo,” Elara mocked, her dramatic tone practically dripping through the phone. “So what if Crestfield isn’t Ravencrest? At least you’re going to college and studying engineering, which is, like, the most Evie thing ever.”I sighed, shutting the fridge door and leaning against the counter. “Elara, do you eve

Elara was here to be my support, but you see my mum?My mum didn’t like Elara. She kept staring at her with this thinly veiled look of disgust, like she couldn’t believe I had the audacity to bring her along.Elara, of course, noticed. She always noticed. But she didn’t care.She sat cross-legged in the plush chair of the exclusive beauty salon, fiddling with the rings on her fingers. Her bright purple hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders, clashing spectacularly with the neon green crop top and plaid skirt she’d chosen for the day. Add in her mismatched earrings, one shaped like a star, the other a crescent moon, and she w I'mas a walking middle finger to the word conformity.“Elara, dear,” my mum said, her voice dripping with forced politeness. “Don’t you think you’d be more comfortable waiting outside?”Elara smirked, leaning back in her chair like she owned the place. “Nope. I’m perfectly comfortable right here. Thanks for asking, though.”I stifled a laugh, earning a shar

I gulped, stepping back until my back hit the railings.“A coincidence…yeah. I agree.”He chuckled. That deep, rumbling chuckle that rose from his throat and sent a shiver straight down my spine.“Are you nervous?” he asked, cocking his head slightly to the right as he adjusted the sleeves of his suit jacket.I couldn’t help but stare at his arms, at the way the fabric stretched over his muscles, at the veins that bulged with every small movement. I swallowed hard, and his lips curled into that infuriating smirk. He noticed. Of course, he noticed.Before I could think of a response, he took a step forward. Then another.Long strides closed the distance between us in seconds.He placed one hand on the railings behind me, then the other, boxing me in. His face was just inches from mine now, his dark eyes locked on me with an intensity that made my knees weak.“What’s wrong, Evie?” he murmured, his voice low and teasing. “You’re not usually this quiet.”I inhaled sharply, trying to pul

My home was nonexistent, according to Mum.“It was falling apart, Evelyn,” she said, waving her hand dismissively as she adjusted her pearl necklace. “Alexander bought the whole block. He’s renovating it completely.”I stared at her, my jaw tightening. “What about the people living there?”“They’ve been relocated,” she said breezily, as if it was no big deal. “Given better homes.”Better homes. Right. Because displacing families and shoving them into some pre-selected housing was the epitome of generosity.“And now,” she continued, a smile spreading across her face, “we’ll be staying in a penthouse. Our own private elevator, stunning views, the works.”Her excitement was almost childlike as she rambled on about the penthouse, but all I could think about was the hollow feeling in my chest. That “home” she’d dismissed so casually was the only place I’d ever known. The walls, no matter how cracked or faded, had been ours. And now it was gone, just like that.Within twenty four hours.