In Love With My Evil Stepbrother

Chapter 64: The Truth The next morning, | slowly wake up in his arms. He is already awake. | catch him staring atwhen | open my eyes.

“...why are you staring?” | ask sleepily. “What’s on my face?” He holdstighter in his arms and whispers, “nothing...I just can’t get enough you. | can do this all day- watching you sleep.” “Getting a little creepy here | think,” | sit up and stretch my back. “Today is Saturday. Do you have any plans?” He sits up with me, “So | was thinking...maybe we can go get snew furniture? You can redecorate a little.” The idea of decorating my first hdefinitely seems interesting. So | immediately jump on board.

Since we are trying a simpler way of life now, | thought he would taketo IKEA or Target. But instead, he ends up drivingto a fancy mall with all those luxury designer brands.

When the sales lady welcomes us into the VIP lounge again, | whisper to Eason, “I thought we are buying furniture. What are we doing here?” “They have house products here. And all decorations you might like,” he givesa strange look. “Where else would we go?” | sigh. I should have known that he might not have stepped into IKEA or Target in his entire life. Getting a cheap apartment is the hugest step he has ever taken.

The sales lady sits us down in the VIP lounge and brings us champagne and a set of afternoon tea, all complimentary of course. But if you think about how much money we are going to spend here, the gesture becomes less generous than it seems. “Brings us the brochure and then give us a moment please,” says Eason.

Everything seems so exquisite and...pricey. There are only pictures and descriptions listed on the brochure, but no price. | can’t even begin to imagine how much will those cost.

“Finding anything you like?” he asks. “They all seem very nice. But | hope you don’t spend too much on this?” | try to persuade him. “Because you know | can’t even afford a teacup in here.” “Letworry about the money,” he gives a gentle peck my cheek. “You just focus on choosing things that you like.” | sigh and eventually agree. While we are sitting there looking through the brochure and enjoying our afternoon tea, suddenly my phone buzzes. | take a quick, casual glance at it and instantly sit up. It's Jenna! Who just disappeared for an entire night.

(Jenna: WHERE ARE YOU?!!) Another all-caps message. What's the matter with her? | frown and quickly text back: [Me: Out shopping with Eason @central mall. Why?) A few seconds later, another message shots into my inbox.

(Jenna: LISTEN. | need you to go downstairs and wait forat the employee's exit. I'll be there in 15 min.) (Jenna: DO NOT TELL EASON!! Don’t alert him!!] (Jenna: Tell him you need to use the restroom.] Oh God. She makes it seem so serious! What's the matter for god's sake? Why can’t she just tell me? Is she afraid of Eason or anything? (Me: Just tellwhat happened!] (Jenna: not now. Do as | say. Please.] “What's the matter?” Eason asksall of a sudden, makingjump a little in my seat and almost dropping my phone. Looking up, | find Eason looking atcarefully. “Who are you texting to?” he asks.

In a split second, | hesitate and then decide to listen to Jenna.

“Nothing,” | lie and put away my phone. “Mom asksto run serrands for her. No big deal.” I act all normal, so he doesn’t suspect a thing. | keep track of the tand ten minutes later, | stand up telling him, “I need to use the restroom.” He points at a hidden door in the lounge, “Sure. It’s right there.” cod Ell | bite my bottom lips and quickly think of something else, “I want to get that ice cream downstairs. I'll go to the restroom on the way there. Do you want a scoop?” “No I'm fine. Do you wantto cwith you?” | force out a smile, “I'm not a three-years-old. Be right back.” After that, | quickly exit the lounge before he changes his mind. | wait at the employee's exit for Jenna. 5 minutes later, she finally appears, thought she shockedwith her look: an oversized hoodie pulled down to cover half of her face, a black sunglass and a mask.

Is she going to rob the bank?! “What's the matter with you?” | cry out. “Why are you dressed like this!” She makes a sharp stop in front ofand pants violently. After catching up a breath, she grabs my hand and blurts out, “Nat! Eason is a freak! He is fucking insane you need to stay away from him NOW!” ...What? My mind goes blank. All of a sudden, | find it hard to understand what Jenna is saying.

“What-what do you mean he is a freak?” | ask then suddenly realize my body is shaking. “But he can’t be...why is he a freak? What did you say that!” Jenna grabs my arms and stare at me, “You need to calm down. We don’t have much time! So here is what he did...” Then she goes on tellingeverything she has found out.

“...and yesterday he even lockedup in James’ apartment and forcedto sign a nondisclosure agreement! He said if | didn’t sign, | couldn't eat and drink! How insane is that!!” she finishes furiously. Oh, the agreement.

Suddenly the memory from last night resurfaces. “It’s just an agreement that needs to be signed. | didn’t think that person would sign it, but | just heard that she caved in anyway,” he smiles. “It’s a relief for me.” | thought he was talking about business. But could it be that...he was actually referring to the nondisclosure agreement he forced Jenna to sign?! And all those things are happening right in front of my stupid face. But | just didn’t see them. Maybe because he covered his tracks too well. Or maybe just because I chose to be blind.

How insanely stupid | am. “Nat?” Jenna looks atworried. “Say something please?” | suddenly bend down, gasping, coughing, retching. My body is sick. | feel so disgusted by everything happened to me. “Oh my god Nat! Are you OK?” Tears streams down my cheek as | continue to dry heave. | can’t stop myself. My stomach swirls every t| think of his face.

| was so in love with him...I was crazy for him. But why!! Why did he have to fucking playlike this!!! “Nat...please,” Jenna tries to cuddle me. “You believe me, right?” | take a deep breath and slowly stand straight. My whole world just crumbled down in frontand | don’t know what to do.

“| trust you...yeah | do. Because | guess—" | start sobbing.”-I guess sparts ofalready knew. | just didn’t want to face it.” I'm so stupid. There's no way that a fuckboy like him could ever fall in love with someone. Why was | so innocent to believe that | could be the one to change his heart? | was a puppet to him. That's all.

“God Jenna...” | grab Jenna's hand and busts into tears again. “Help me. I—I don’t want to face him. I hate him. | hate him so much! What do | do? My life...my life is so screwed...” I'm talking nonsense. But Jenna understands. She always does. “Calm down, Nat. Now is not the tto cry.

Soon he will discover that | ran away and told you the truth. He will clooking for you.” “Why!” | cry out. “Didn't he have it enough?!” “He is crazy and paranoid! He threated my life just to getsign that agreement! Now we need to get away from him for a while. You need to go back to Miami with me.” ...What? Back to Miami? TTT My head hurts so much that | can’t think straight, “What are you talking about? | just moved here. My mom is here. And my school...how can | just leave?” “You got all credits you need at school already, right? You just need to apply for college. They'll allow you to take a few days off. And tell your mom that you are visiting your dad.

She won't say anything. The most important thing right now is to get you away from that freak as far as possible.

You hear me?!” I'm still processing my heart break. | can’t make any major decision right now. Before | realize, Jenna already hailed a cab and shovedin. “To the airport,” she says to the driver and then turns to me. “You have your driver's license with you?” “...yes,” | reply numbly. “Good. We'll get you a ticket at the counter,” Jenna squeezes my hand. “Truston this.

It'll buy us tto figure out the rest and escape his craziness.” | look through the window and feel so surreal.

This morning, | woke up happily in his arms celebrating the first night we spent in our first home; and now, I'm on my way running away from him. How did everything becso fucked up!!! Suddenly, my phone rings. It's Eason. | literally start to panic, “God what do | do? He'll askwhere I've been!” “You have to answer! He can’t know just yet! Just act normal and make something up!” | hit the answer button with a trembling hand.

And then | hear his voice coming out of the speaker, “... Babe? What's taking you so long?” It’s him. The boy | love so much. The boy who has hurtdeeply. | cover my mouth with my hand and cry silently. | know I should say something, but | can’t. it hurts too much.

After a short silence, he speaks up again with a strained voice, “Nat are you crying?” | can’t say a single word. “Why do | hear traffic?” his voice becomes low and hoarse. “Nat, where are you?”