2. Daisy
Two
Daisy
Is it wrong to have a crush on your brother?
I write in my journal, as my go-go boots swing in time to the pop music blasting through my bedroom.
The fabric of the pink duvet is soft against my skin as I lie on my bed, every nerve awake, waiting for the night to finally start.
Tonight my stepbrother will stop running.
He will choose me, love me, and I’ll finally get what I want. Him.
I chew the end of my pencil, finger circling his name over and over on the page. I’m twenty-one and I’ve never wanted anyone the way I obsess over Jason Jones.
Is it wrong to wish your brother would fuck you? I write next.
A loud sigh escapes me because no respectable answer comes to mind. I just want to take a ride on my brother’s cock, and it’s not fair that I can’t because for some reason Jason stays away.
I know he wants me too. I’ve felt Jason’s eyes on me, like when I left the bathroom door open while I showered. It was an invitation he hesitated over, then refused. Or late at night when I’ve snuck up to the attic to spy on Jason, and my name is on his tongue while he thrusts into his fist.
Maybe this is a game for him. I need to try harder, but I will win.
The door shudders, and my head snaps back, gaze fixed on the wood as it rattles violently.
He’s going to put a hole through it. My lips curl up in a smirk.
I’ve got numerous holes that he can use, I think to myself.
I know it’s him because Mom is too busy with Jerry and forgets that I exist. And Jerry, well, he ignores me.
“Hurry up, Daisy, or I’m fucking leaving without you. Five minutes!”
I scramble to my knees, breath catching and pulse racing. He’s speaking to me. Sure, it might be through a door, and Daisy might have fallen from his lips in a tone of utter contempt, but Jason is letting me tag along.
I cornered Mom earlier today, telling her I wanted to visit the haunted house attraction to get out and explore our new town but I didn’t want to go alone.
She’s too busy with her husband to do it herself.
Jerry is her shiny toy, and God forbid she gets distracted by spending time with her daughter.
The only reason she listened was to get me out of the house so that she can pretend that she doesn’t have a child.
It’s not because she cares. But it was part of my master plan to force Jason’s attention instead.
We belong together, and Jason will stop fighting what is inevitable. Eventually.
It’s time to launch Operation: Make My Stepbrother Fall in Love with Me.
I squeal as I climb off the bed, moving to stand before my mirror so I can swipe on another coat of strawberry lip gloss and fluff my blonde hair.
My eyes rake over myself with a critical eye.
Jason might regard me like I’m a piece of gum on the bottom of his shoe, but I know how I look.
I grin and lean over to pull my dress down, deepening the cleavage between my breasts. Perfect.
Glancing at myself one last time, I fling open my bedroom door. If I take too long, Jason will leave me behind, so I hurry through the house towards the front door.
When I put my mind to something, I always get what I want. Tonight, I will make Jason mine.
A woman’s laughter rings out as I pass the sitting room, and I peek in to see Mom cuddling Jerry. My stomach hardens at the sight of their affection. “Bye mom!” I stand there, waiting and watching. She doesn’t look my way. I take a step back, my throat tightening.
“I can’t believe you’re taking me on a cruise! I love you so much.” I hear her say, but my back is turned and I’m already walking to the front door.
“Don’t wait up for me,” I mutter under my breath. I shut the door behind me with apathetic detachment. I don’t need her. Not when I have Jason.
I shiver as the cool air meets my exposed skin, but thoughts of tonight make it easier to ignore.
Glancing around, my heart sinks. He’s not here.
Surely Jason hasn’t run off without me already.
A pout forms as I walk to the corner to peer around, my hand gripping the edge of the brick wall. I gasp. There he is.
My teeth sink into my bottom lip, a sudden heat pooling in my stomach, my gaze fixed on Jason’s lips while he smokes.
I feel like such a stalker watching him.
He’s effortlessly cool—the very definition of a bad boy with tattoos and a leather jacket.
I hit the jackpot when my mom married the first semi-wealthy guy who fell for her charms and could pay our overdue bills.
It doesn’t take long for my thoughts to turn depraved.
My hungry pussy clenches at the thought of how amazing it would be to grip his long hair as he eats me out, his split tongue making me see stars.
Fuck. I stifle a moan, my hand slipping from the wall.
If he gives me just one chance, I’ll change his life.
Before Jason spots me spying on him like a little pervert, I walk over, exaggerating each hip swing, my blonde hair bouncing against my shoulders.
“What the fuck are you wearing?”
My bottom lip pushes out and I shift from side to side, fidgeting. That was not the response I was expecting. All I want is to impress Jason, catch his attention, and prove I can be everything he desires. That I’m worth something.
I know I’m hot; the selection of other guys I had back home was proof of that, but Jason seems to be immune to me. Even when we’re alone at home, and I run around in nothing but my bra and panties, he doesn’t take any interest.
“My Halloween costume…who are you going as?”
He scoffs. “Myself, dipshit. I’m scary enough.”
My eyebrows furrow when I take in his face, and a redness around his eye that looks painful. “What happened to your face? Did you walk into a fist?”
Jason gives me a scathing look that would make a grown man piss his pants. “Shut up.” His gaze traces my skin, and I almost shiver at his intensity. “You’re barely wearing any clothes.”
On the inside I’m smug because that’s the point, but I shrug like I didn’t realize.
I glance down at my halter neck dress that resembles a sparkling disco ball.
It barely covers my crotch, and I’ve altered it to include cutouts at my hips to accentuate my curves.
Using the leftover fabric, I crafted a matching headband for myself.
I thought I looked sexy. The material struggles to hold my breasts, but my brother’s intense, disgusted stare begins to shake my confidence.
“I’m wearing a dress because I’d hoped to go to a party afterwards. I don’t want to overheat and have to take off layers.”
Jason’s eyes narrow instantly, and he moves into my space, the warmth of his body wrapping around mine.
Having him in my orbit sends my head spinning, as if I’m drunk on his presence.
Each shaky breath allows me to inhale his spicy cologne like a freak, and the wet heat spreads between my thighs intensifies by the second.
“Who invited you to a party? You just moved here.” Suspicion laces his tone.
I nibble on my lip, realizing how flimsy my plan is.
“I thought you could take me to one, so I could make some friends.”
Lie. I wanted us to party so that I could have Jason’s body grinding up against mine. We’d dance until the night became morning before stumbling home where I’d drag Jason into my bed.
It might be a terrible plan, but it’s a wonderful dream.
Jason grips my cheeks, the rings he’s wearing cold against my skin. He brings his face closer, his lips barely hovering above mine. My breathing stutters as I inhale his smoky, honey-like scent. My eyes flutter shut, chest rising and falling faster while my core begins throbbing.
Jason’s breath ripples against my skin, and I shiver thinking about how easy it would be to press my lips against his.
“No one would want to be friends with you. I sure as fuck don’t.”
My heart crumbles. It’s a nightmare that the one person I have a major crush on also hates my guts. My very existence infuriates him.
“You’re a burden.”
Jason’s words are a familiar knife stabbing into my gut, further deepening the wounds my mom has already inflicted.
I wish I had never been your mother.
You’re the worst thing to ever happen to me.
You’re the reason I’m so unhappy.
My mom’s voice echoes cruelly in my ears. They’re a reminder that I can never win her love—that I wasn’t good enough for her. But I’ll win Jason’s love. I will be good enough for him.
I take a deep, shaky breath, holding back tears, and force a trembling smile across my face. Although my new brother is usually mean, loudly voicing his hatred so much that I’ve come to expect his venom, his words still hurt.
“I know. I’m sorry. I promise I can be fun. I’ll prove it to you.”
He rolls his eyes again, then steps back. “Come on. If we’re late, I’ll hate you even more.” His words lack their usual sharpness, but my mind is too distracted by trying not to cry to think about what that means.
I follow Jason as he walks past our neighbor’s house.
At the corner, I look up to see a street sign crowned with curling metal vines swinging slightly from an elegant black post. The lantern sitting at the top flickers on with a low hum as dusk falls.
It’s only a short walk before we reach Main Street.
When mom first told me we were moving to Grimwood, I was unimpressed and overwhelmed with grief by the thought of leaving our home.
Moving from a beachside location to a small, rural town that’s hard to find on a map is a step down.
Grimwood doesn’t even have any decent malls.
There’s only one street of shops. One of the stores, The Mystical Macabre, offers candles, ritual supplies, ghost-hunting gear, and other paranormal items. I’m not sure why anyone would need that.
This town is a big difference from California.
But since living here, my perspective has changed.
Grimwood has a strange presence, as if it’s hiding secrets waiting to be discovered.
A creepy mist shrouds the surrounding forest and lake, and the slightly eccentric locals whisper of terrors haunting the dark.
My favorite sight is the asylum. It towers on the edge of town, locked away by iron gates and Do Not Enter signs.
The true crime lover in me can’t help but wonder what evil lurks inside.
Somehow, I’m growing fond of Grimwood, like I’m exactly where I’m destined to be.
Jason hasn’t shared details about the friend we’re visiting, but from what I’ve learned—since I’m determined to know everything about my brother—he’s been best friends with Nicky since they were in their mothers’ wombs.
But the topic of Jason’s mom is so taboo that I suspect something terrible has happened, yet nobody, not even the kind old ladies on our street, will talk about it.
Jason’s and Nicky’s moms were close friends, so it’s sweet that their bond has continued through their sons.
It’s a brief walk to his friend’s house.
We stroll along the street, metal lamp posts crackling to life, and flags of orange and black strung between them.
Small planters adorn the sidewalk. Beneath all the peculiar quirks, it’s a charming little town.
We turn left past the cemetery, passing families with lively children fueled by sugar.
It’s not long before we reach our destination.
Loud music plays from the garage. I smile, my chest vibrating with anticipation. I don’t notice Jason slowing his pace until I almost stumble into his back, catching myself at the last second.
“Oops. Sorry.”
Jason ignores my apology and grabs my shoulders, his fingers digging in to push me backwards. I barely have a chance to register what’s happening before my back hits a brick wall and the breath rushes out of my lungs.
I inhale raggedly, not from fear, but because his body is crushed against mine, sending electricity rippling across my skin. My eyes search his as I wait for his next move. A pounding builds in my chest. My breath hitches as my gaze drops to his mouth. I want him.
When I’m next alone, I’ll replay this moment, except when I have the chance to control the fantasy, it’ll unfold much differently.
Jason will press me hard against the wall, kick my legs apart, then slide his fingers underneath my dress, feeling how wet I am for him. He’ll sink down to his knees, push my panties aside and fuck my cunt with his tongue while his best friend is only meters away.
“Listen here. If you speak a single word about what happens tonight to anyone, I’ll make sure you don’t exist tomorrow.” Jason narrows his eyes at me. Little does he know, I’ll take his secrets to the grave.
I even have a confession of my own. I’ll do anything Jason wants.
“Whatever you say, big brother. My lips are sealed.” I pretend to zip my lips, tossing the imaginary key behind me.
Jason scoffs. “You’re such a loser.”
With brisk strides like he can’t get away from me fast enough, he moves toward the garage door. He hesitates before going in, hand poised above the handle. “Remember, I will bury you alive if you say anything about tonight.”