5. Maddy
MADDY
TWO MONTHS AFTER THE WEDDING
“You can’t keep doing this, Maddy.”
Mom stands in front of me, as I lie down on my bed with a smutty book.
She looks cute today in her white sundress and flats.
“What am I doing?” I look up at her from between the pages. “Locking myself in my room to read? Last time I checked, I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted with my free time.”
“No, silly.” She shakes her head. “I love that you read. Actually, what are you reading?”
She raises a perfectly manicured eyebrow.
And that’s the moment I’m glad that the cover and title of my book give nothing away about the plot. I don’t think I can tell Mom I’m reading a dark romance about a girl being stalked by her brother’s best friend and letting him rail her in her sleep.
“Um, it’s a mystery. Murder and shit. It wouldn’t interest you,” I lie before her curiosity wins.
She frowns for half a second. “Okay. Be sure not to walk around with that book around Lucas and Kayden then. We don’t want any bad energy in the house. Lucas doesn’t like it, baby.”
Of course, he doesn’t. That’s why I’m wearing pink dresses and mimicking a human doll most of the time. We need to be perfect and not showcase our flaws in front of others, right?
“Got it. I’ll stay in my room until I finish it, no worries,” I say, putting my book down. “Anything else?”
“Yes.” Mom approaches me now, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I want you to get along with your brother.”
Oh. So this is what this is about.
I sit up. “Not a chance.”
Just because we’re a family now doesn’t mean we need to be all lovey-dovey. Besides, it’s not only me—it’s mutual.
“Maddy…please.” Mom purses her lips and places a hand on my lap. “I know Kayden may seem harsh, but he’s been through a lot.” Her brown eyes plead with me. “Lucas said he’s always had problems socializing.”
“No kidding.”
Though I don’t see him having problems socializing as much as he has problems socializing with me.
Even after the wedding when everyone at school found out we’re stepsiblings, he never made an effort.
Why would he start now?
“Try talking to him. Please? I know you’ve been at each other’s throats, but enough is enough. We’re a family now. You can’t be sneaking bugs into each other’s plates during family dinners, and stealing each other’s homework at school.”
Oh, if she only knew the half of it. Those are the harmless pranks.
In fact, I’m almost out of ideas. After the panty-cutting Kayden hit me with, I got back at him by staining all his pants so it looks like he either shit himself or jizzed, and that’s only the tip of it.
My favorite was when I drew a big dick on the side of his hockey helmet, along with the word ‘I’ and a heart on the other side. He can be childish, but so can I.
“Mom, you don’t get it,” I say. Because, sincerely, she doesn’t. “He hates me.”
“No, he doesn’t, Maddy. Don’t be ridiculous. He’s not used to being around us. And women. He’s been alone for a long time. You know, I don’t know if I told you this, but his mother passed when he was a kid.”
My stomach churns. I didn’t know that.
I don’t like Kayden, but that doesn’t mean I’m a fucking monster without feelings.
“That’s horrible.”
“It is.” She pauses, staring at me. “So, please, honey. Give him a chance? Maybe talk him into a truce? If there’s anyone who can convince him, it’s you. Be gentle with him. Okay?”
I sigh. I don’t want to do this.
I really, really, don’t.
But I would like the back-and-forth pranking to stop. It’d be nice to fall asleep one day without having to watch my back. Most importantly, Mom really wants me to do this.
“Okay,” I tell her. “But I’m only doing it for you.”
“I know you are, baby. Thank you.” She kisses the top of my head and stands up, heading for the door. “I love you, okay?”
***
I climb the ladder in the middle of the second floor—the one that leads to Kayden’s room—and knock on his door. Kayden’s room is in the attic, the place he claimed as his as soon as we moved into this house.
“Kayden?”
No response.
I knock again.
No response.
I pull at the square wooden opening with the handle that functions as his door, deciding to venture in.
It’s not my first time inside. This time, though, it’s his own fault for not answering.
I hope he isn’t jacking off or something.
I’m holding my breath as I climb the ladder.
The room—a single bed, with a big screen TV in front, a closet right by it, and a desk and laptop on the right—is nothing to brag about. What catches my attention is the open window on the wall, next to the bed.
It’s open.
The window itself is low, and it’s easy to climb out of it.
I stare at it with curiosity, and once I’m standing in front of it, I peek out.
And there he is—on the black shingles of the roof, sitting up and looking down as if he’s enjoying the fresh air in a park. He’s clearly out of his mind.
Doesn’t he find it dangerous?
He’s wearing a leather jacket, white T-shirt, and black jeans, and his hair is tousled as usual. He inhales a long drag of the cigarette between his fingers.
“You shouldn’t smoke,” I tell him, making myself known.
Kayden turns his head and cackles. “Who the fuck says so?”
“Don’t you play hockey?” I say. “Smoking is bad for athletes.”
He huffs. “That’s why I’m doing it here, where no one can see.”
Kayden takes another puff out of the cigarette before flicking it down the roof.
“Hey!” I complain. “You could hit someone with it and burn them or something.”
“Bite me.” He shrugs. “The fuck are you doing here, Little Demon?”
Little Demon? Is that what he’s calling me now?
Okay, we’re already off to a bad start.
“I came here to talk.”
He laughs and turns away from me. “I have no interest in talking, as you already know.”
God, I mean, he’s not the only one. But I’m doing this for Mom. She deserves a happy family.
Even though I’m pretty much terrified, I take a deep breath and climb out of the window. Right away, I’m crouching, so I can crawl my way to where Kayden is.
This is too high, and my heart’s beating like crazy.
Climbing the ladder up to his room is a hard enough feat for me each time.
“Wait, are you crawling to me?” Kayden cackles, looking at me over his shoulder. His everlasting blue gaze is set on me, sending shivers down my spine as I struggle to get to where he is. “And I didn’t even have to ask. I knew you had the hots for me, Little Demon.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“I mean, I said I have no interest in talking. But, if you wanna fool around, I wouldn’t mind it.”
“Shut up. That’s not why—” I compose myself, finally sitting up next to him. “That’s not why I’m here. I’m not one of those girls who follow you around at school.”
Kayden scoffs. “Oh, heck no, you’re not one of them. But you do follow me around.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Anyway.” I fold my legs and pull down the skirt of my pink dress, so I don’t accidentally flash him. “I’m here to talk about us.”
“There’s no us.”
“I know. But I think we should try to get along. Ignore each other or something instead of getting in each other’s faces. Interact only when we need to at home. Pretend we’re okay for our parents. You know, no more pranking. Let’s do it for them.”
“Hmmm…”
He turns his face to me and scans me up and down. His gaze is so deep that for a moment, I think he’s resonating with my words. He leans closer, and I instantly flush from the proximity of his face to my personal space.
“No,” he deadpans.
“Come on.” I move away from him. “Don’t you want to do that for your dad, at least? Things don’t have to be peachy between us, but they don’t have to be difficult either, Kayden. What do you want me to do? Give you my weekly allowance?”
Lucas has been giving me a couple of hundred dollars a week ever since the wedding, a new perk to being his new fake daughter, I guess. I was saving up for more books, but I’ll forfeit the money if I have to.
Kayden starts laughing, his whole body vibrating with the sweet sounds that escape his mouth.
I gnaw at my bottom lip. I had no idea that I would find that sound attractive too, but my heart’s beating even louder than before now. Or maybe it’s the fact that I’m sitting on a fucking roof and adrenaline is pumping through my veins.
“It’s five-hundred dollars per week to stay out of my way and behave, Kayden. It isn’t too bad. I mean, I know your dad already gives you enough money, but the more the merrier, right?” I laugh at my own lame joke.
He doesn’t.
“Deal?” I extend my hand his way.
His eyes darken as he stares at me again, turning his whole body my way.
He stretches his hand. I’m about to make a deal with the devil, and I’ll be poor, but it’ll all finally be over. Mom will be happy, and I’ll be okay. And I can finally move on and forget about my stupid bully of a stepbrother.
Kayden’s palm touches mine, but instead of grabbing it and shaking it, he pulls me toward him.
Then, pins me down onto the shingles of the roof, his body molding against me. His hand leaves mine and travels up my stomach, his fingers tracing their way to my neck.
We’re lying down on the roof, the shingles stabbing my back with every single movement, and I’m locked underneath him. In fact—if he moves away, I may die. I may fall to my death. The roof is unstable and bumpy; one wrong move and we can fall.
And I’m an idiot because I can’t stare at anything else but his glistening blue eyes as he takes my breath away with his big palm, now wrapped around my neck.
Kayden leans forward, his forehead touching mine. He breathes hot air into my face, and he’s so close I think he might kiss me. The mix of fear and arousal pooling within me confuses me.
My whole body radiates heat. What’s going on?
“Fuck off,” he says instead, and squeezes my neck.
I cough, asking for air, but he won’t let go.
A smirk coats his face as he chokes me.
I attempt to push him away, hitting his chest with my hands locked under him until he gives up.
He stops squeezing and lets me go.
I slowly regain composure and crawl back to the window.
There’s one thing that I’m sure will haunt my dreams tonight.
The smile that doesn’t leave his lips as I disappear inside.