My Stepbrother-Too Hot To Handle

DAMIEN:

It was really hard to believe it when I found out that the dear cousin that I had loved my past with was Mason, and the aunt that I lost contact with was his mum.

It made me finally realize why I had always thought that he was very familiar in some ways, even if I had not been able to pinpoint how, until we all met in the most unexpected manner.

“How have you been? How has everything been going with you?” Aunt asked me again and again while grasping my hands tightly in hers, as she was still struggling with the tears that rolled down her cheeks.

“It has been the same with dad. We have the worst relationship till now. It is exhausting,” I told her truthfully like I always did as a vulnerable little boy, and she kept nodding because she understood exactly what I was saying.

“I am sorry you had to go through all this, darling. I searched everywhere for you. I tried calling your dad several times, but he wouldn’t let me speak to you. He blocked my number subsequently, and it became even harder,” she narrated her ordeal to me, still finding it hard to stop tearing up as I passed her wipes to clean her face.

“He has been the same till now. Trying to control my life, and telling me what to do. He doesn’t ask for my opinion about anything. It is sick!” I spat again, relieved that I could tell someone how I was feeling.

“This has to do more with him getting married to Dabby’s mum right?” She asked with a brighter face this time, and I looked at her incredulously trying to figure out how she knew, “Mason told me something related with description, and I figured it out by everyone’s gestures,” she chuckled.

“Kind of. He is even worse now. I honestly cannot wait to finish high school, and pop out of his life,” I bemoaned, and took a sip from the iced Americano she got for both of us.

“I know you are a very strong boy, and very intelligent too. I was always proud of you and I still am. You have grown into a beautiful young man, and I can barely recognize you,” she grinned brightly.

“A new family makes everything hard though. Been a bad guy and a jerk,” I confessed.

“You shouldn’t let your father define you, because you are a better person. You are wonderful, Damien. And for Dabby. She is a very good and lovely kid. Your parent’s mistakes and inconsiderate actions towards both of you, should be your strength to form better bonds.”

“Yes, Aunt. I know and have realized that now. I really want to apologize over and over again for everything I have done. She has done her role of making me a better person,” I admitted truthfully, and I looked to the other side of the cafe to see she and Mason talking outside in a corner.

“Time will solve everything, Damien. I’m sure she knows you do not mean everything you have done, and would be ready to accept you with open arms,” aunt affirmed with a bright smile, and I smiled too.

“Have you heard from mum? Ever since she left?” I asked her suddenly, remembering that I have been wanting to ask about my mum.

“Akeelah kind of broke ties with me after she broke off her marriage. I have tried reaching her everywhere, but she dropped a letter saying she feels guilty about everything. Probably because I warned her so much about Spencer,” Aunt Adele explained everything to me, and started crying again.

It was hard to watch her do that, because I knew it would be only a matter of time before I started mine too, “Heard she moved to Czech recently. I have been trying to make calls, and even hired a private investigator. Hopefully we find her,” she continued.

“I miss her so much,” I said instead, after drawing in a deep breath, that would prevent me from bawling my eyes out before my aunt.

“Same here, darling. Same here,” she dried her tears again, and smiled hard after sniffing so deep. She has been handling too much by herself, and I didn’t want to continue to talk about mum again.

“I remember Mason not being called Mason then. Something like Chu,” I chuckled at the memories of us that I had, and the particular fact that confused me not to knowing that he was my cousin all along.

“That was like a nickname given to him from birth. And we called him that. He hated it though,” she laughed so heartily at the thought of it, and it was nice to see her lighten up again.

“I’ll start calling him Chu from now on again,” I chuckled, and she smiled.

“Come to our house often now, Damien. Anytime. Everytime. I want to keep seeing you around.”

We talked about so many other things, and helped her while she stored everything she bought. Dabby and Mason came into join later, and we finished working until eight in the night.

Aunt Adele cooked and served varieties of food after we were done with beer, and we toasted to paying off her debts and quitting her nerve wrecking job. After we were done with everything, we cleared the table and departed home after aunt gave me a really tight hug.

I drove Dabby and me back home, and I kept thinking of how I could start my apology or explanation. There were so many things to talk about and sort out between us, and it left me clueless about where to even start.

I ended up driving home without saying anything, and she entered the house before me. That was when I realized that she was probably pissed, and that I couldn’t leave our reconciliation to procrastination.

I rushed after her before she could enter her room, and grabbed her right arm to stop her from moving any further. She turned to me and I could see that tender look in her beautiful eyes, which almost drove me crazy by the way my heart was thumping

Her breath were already inches from one another, and we where about about to kiss without any word. We heard a loud voice from the door which made my heart skip beats as we separated immediately.

‘We have been caught. What are we going to say? What? what?’ I tried to think of the plausible lie we could tell.

The lights came on, and the figure that appeared before us was Joanna. But she wasn’t looking at our direction. She was looking at the door that was wide open, and dad seemed to follow after her.

“And who are you to tell me to freeze after the stupid act you put on today? What I want to hear is your pledge that you are going to be sensible from now on. That you are going to be loyal to your good father figure,” she said sternly and rolled her eyes, which made me wonder what was going on in shock.

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I didn’t think any woman had ever talked to dad like that in his entire life, and he was just standing there while frowning badly at her. She didn’t even mind that he could do anything to her, if she had known him properly before they married. Her red short gown was on fire.

Before he could even utter any word out in reply, I heard Dabby cough so loudly from down the stairs, which made me realize that she had left my side already.

It caught their attention from where they were still standing in oblivion, and they turned compulsively realizing that we were in, which made Joanna chuckle wryly almost immediately.

“I can see that work ended so fast today. Damien, you are already back. Welcome kids. Are you hungry? Should I fix dinner?” She went in and in asking questions that was out of context, while I was still trying to grasp everything that had played before me.

“No mum. I and Damien had dinner already,” Dabby answered.

“Oh. Okay. Your father and I too. Goodnight darlings,” she rushed her words again like a guilty person, as Dabby made her way up the stairs and past me immediately. I heard the door to her room shut after.

‘That was definitely the end of our talk.’ Both of them left my sight to their room too.

The next day, I woke up very early so that Dabby wouldn’t leave again, and I was in time enough to be fully dressed for school. I apologized throughout our journey while driving slowly intentionally, and hoped that she would forgive me for everything.

I explained over and over again the reasons why I did every single thing after making a list before I slept, and apologized for everything that I had done to hurt her feelings. I drove us to school and parked to her utmost surprise, considering the fact that we had not settled the uproar in school.

Immediately we stepped out, Mason’s bike halted too at the park, and three of us walked into the hallway together with Dabby in our middle. I didn’t have an idea about what we were doing, neither did I have anything to say regarding the video everyone saw.

As soon as we got to the hallway, Mason halted which made me wonder what he was doing. The events that took place the day before, had made me forget what we had to deal with in school.

“In case you are wondering what that video was about, you should come and ask me directly. Damien here is my cousin, and we grew up together. Find the pieces to the puzzles yourself.

And, I have broken up with my girlfriend, because you guys would never seize to not mind your business.

And one more thing, any more defamation of character by any student of this school to another, will get them expelled without mercy: From the principal’s office.” He declared.