"Brandon, sort this out," Embry instructed. Until then, the name registered in my head, but before I could ponder further, the girls surprised me, much like Lilith did, leaving me all alone with a sliver of fear.

I started turning back, intending to meet them downstairs, when a pair of large arms wrapped around me.

"Oh, you're going to do it, British girl."

No way!

"Who are you? Don't touch me! Stop it." I struggled, pushing and kicking while he dragged me back towards the edge.

"Brandon's the name. Embry wants you to have some fun, love." He reeked of alcohol and looked dodgy. He embodied everything associated with crime, and all I wanted was to escape his trap.

"Get your hands off me. I'm afraid of heights!" I screamed, paying no attention to the laughing spectators who found it amusing to watch a girl being violently attacked by a drunk man.

"One..." His hand wrapped tightly around my waist, leaving no room for escape.

"Let me go. I'm not kidding!" My breathing reached its peak, becoming inaudible in my blood-boiling ears.

"Two."

"I would fight you." Nothing I did seemed to faze him even the slightest bit. I contemplated sinking my teeth into his intoxicated skin until it bled, but I recoiled, knowing I couldn't sink my teeth into his intoxicated flesh.

"Three."

"Please, don't." I pushed him back, but he was too strong, making me feel so small. I HATE EMBRY.

And boom!

With tightly shut eyes and a piercing scream, I was catapulted—though it felt more like drowning—and I couldn't catch my breath, terrified about where I would land.

Water!

Warm water!

That's what greeted me, soaking every pore of my body.

I fought my way up from the depths of the pool to draw air into my lungs.

Ignoring the applause I received from the crowded backyard, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to breathe.

"Wasn't it fun, British girl?" The repulsive, husky voice invaded my ear, and with force, I shoved him away from me. I swiftly swam towards the edge of the large pool.

By the time I pulled myself out of the water, my knees felt weak, paying no heed to the gawking eyes fixated on my drenched, partially naked body.

Ava! I never imagined I would be this exposed in a million years.

Embry's sneer from the barbecue stand, surrounded by a group of cheerleaders, did not go unnoticed.

Exhausted, I made my way inside the building and grabbed some water to soothe my parched throat. Luckily, I discovered a new staircase that led upstairs, as all I sought was silence. I headed towards the secluded corner I learned was Lilith and Leigh's bedroom.

Pushing open the left door, completely disregarding whose privacy I was invading, a spacious grey studio greeted me. The only missing element was the kitchen, but aside from that, everything resembled a self-contained house. There was a living area and a sleeping area.

It took me less than a second to realize it was Leigh's. His unmistakable scent permeated every corner of the space.

With a smile, I took slow steps, carefully observing his domain. The place was impeccably arranged, and everything appeared brand new.

I walked over to the bed and nestled myself under the covers, allowing his scent to envelop me. Then, my eyes landed on the black journal resting next to the bedside lamp.

Uncertain about delving into it, my fingers lacked the confidence to retrieve it from its position. I felt I had intruded enough by simply walking in without permission.

But Leigh is mine; he has said it himself. I don't think I would mind if Leigh went through my belongings. I belong to him, after all. There's no comparison.

Exhaling, I reached for the book and skimmed the first page.

"12th September 2016.

Have you ever fallen in love? I haven't, and that makes me certain I've found my first love. Like, look, I just got a journal like a complete wimp!

She's beautiful with golden blonde curls and deep ocean-blue eyes. She's always smiling, which allows me to see her adorable dimples and the lovely curve of her cheeks. I want to kiss her all the time."

My heart began pounding, and I sat up straight, refusing to tear my gaze away from the book.

"22nd September 2016.

Remember the girl I mentioned? Her name is Hailey Morgan McKenzie. I learned that easily because she's my first high school project partner, and she kissed my cheek when she gave me her home address."

"26th September 2016.

Dad says nothing comes easy, but that doesn't make sense because everything has happened so quickly for me. I've made it onto the football team, made friends with everyone, and Hailey wants to hang out with me often."

"14th February 2017.

After patiently waiting for what seemed like ages, Hailey finally let me kiss her beneath the tree in her backyard. She said she loved it and suggested we do it more often. I want to kiss her too; she tastes like orange juice."

That's the past; the future is what matters. Focus, Ava. I encouraged myself, my trembling self.

I continued skimming through the pages, and different memories of Leigh with a faceless girl filled my mind, tarnishing every shared moment I had with him. But he's mine, right? My vision blurred as I stopped on a particular date.

"29th June 2020.

Life can be cruel, they say. I think it has been cruel to me my whole life. Those who come into your life will eventually leave, taking away so much from you. They're betrayers, selfish and heartless, that's what they are."

I didn't fully comprehend the meaning, but I was certain it was written after Leigh and Hailey broke up. Evie said they ended things last summer, and no one knew the reason or who initiated the breakup. But even after reading this journal, I still lacked the key conflict that revealed what had truly happened between them. However, I have a feeling Hailey did it; she left him and changed schools.

I wanted to hurt her for breaking his heart, but then a rush of gratitude washed over me because I got to have him, keep him, and that wouldn't have been possible if she hadn't left.

"And for some reason, it warms my soul. Smiling, I turn to the last page, and my entire world comes crashing down.

"1st January 2021.

It's been a while since I last wrote. I know I always come here to vent my feelings like a coward, but I feel shattered. Lost. I need someone who truly knows me, and I know my mom can't be here to tell me everything will be okay. If only I could see Hailey. If only things weren't so messed up. I just want to tell her I miss her and that I'm so confused. I want to talk like we used to. I want her to assure me that everything will be alright and that I can make it through this. But unfortunately, I've lost her completely. Deep down, I know I did. That's why I kept her bracelet with me. It was the only thing we bought together at our last funfair before I lost her too. I thought I had hope and faith, but I didn't. I'm just falling, and no one seems to understand."

My bones went numb, and my veins ceased pumping blood, a distinct pain forming in my chest. I thought I was broken before, I thought I had been through hell, reduced to ashes and beyond repair, but nothing compares to how I feel right now. I instinctively clutched my hands to my chest, feeling the stab growing deeper into my heart. It was the unfairness he inflicted upon me.

Leigh lied to me.

He was never truly over her. She was his everything, and everything I believed to be him was nothing more than who he wanted to be for her.

I am only temporary, for the time being, until he finds her. Tears welled up in my eyes as I felt deceived, betrayed, and utterly heartbroken to the core.

"I can't believe you're here. I've been looking for you," the familiar voice that had the strongest impact on me filled the room. I couldn't bring myself to look up at him, but I didn't miss the panic in his tone. "What are you doing with my notebook? Are you invading my privacy?"

"I wouldn't be surprised; it means so much to you," I replied, my voice cracking as I paused to take a breath.

"Ava..."

"This whole time... This whole time, I believed you. I thought maybe this was real. I allowed myself to fall in love for the first time in my life when actually the person who promised me true love wanted someone else. Why did you have to lie?" I trailed off, my eyes still fixed on the sharp ink on the white pages that could cause more harm than any weapon.

"That's not true. I've never lied to you." He sounded desperate, perhaps he was, but I didn't care. It hurt too much, reality hurt so cruelly.

"You never loved me. You're using me to mask the pain of losing someone you can't let go of," I stated, my voice devoid of emotion.

"I swear, that's not true. I'm over her. Completely over her since I met you," he rushed his words, desperate for me to believe him.

"You wrote about her in January," I shrugged weakly, tears streaming down my face. "I was in love with you. We were so close, sharing emotional connections under the same roof. You made me tea and told me we were meant for each other, yet you wrote about her."

"You weren't talking to me at the time. I-I was confused, and..." His eyes were the greenest I had ever seen. They were wild, sharp, and glistening.

"She's your solace. She's all over you. And when things fall apart, you turn to her. You confide in her even when she's not around," I sniffled, a whimper escaping. "Is she the reason you hesitated to touch me?" I couldn't help but ask, the thought accompanied by intense pain. Was it all because of her?

"What?" His eyes widened further. If that was even possible.

"You hesitated and always held back. You didn't want to touch me... was it because of her? Because you're still bound to her? Waiting for her?" I raised my voice, the thoughts piercing through me.

"What? No! No way. It's not like that..." He paused, looking away, running a hand over his face and through his dishevelled hair before making eye contact with me. "Please, Ava, don't fill in the gaps with your assumptions. It's not right." He swallowed and shook his head, at least knowing better than to attempt to touch me.

"What's not right is leading someone to fall for you while your heart belongs to someone else," I pushed myself to my feet, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, no longer caring that I stood there in just my bra and panties.

"I've always been here. I was never anywhere else. I am here with you. It's just some silly writing I do when I'm... It didn't mean anything. I only came here sometimes to write... please, Ava, you have to believe me." He took a step closer, and I backed away, giving him a look that clearly communicated 'Don't even try.'

I swallow twice and muster the strength to remove the knife from my chest, letting my heart bleed until there's nothing left. "It's better if we forget about all of this. This shouldn't have happened in the first place; we shouldn't have happened."

"I can't forget about you," he says, his breath shaky as he looks away from me.

"But you didn't forget about her."

"Ava, I'll take it off." He sniffs and hastily begins to remove the leather bracelet from his wrist. "I'll take it off. Please! Please, don't end us because of this." He pleads with teary eyes.

"If you think about it, we never really started, Leigh." I avert my gaze, unable to bear the pain etched on his face.

"Ava, please, you don't want to do this," he chokes out.

"We're not meant to be together, can't you see? I'm just a substitute. Soon enough, you'll grow tired of me. You have a school, two Polish schools waiting for you out there. Your mind isn't fully here with me, and the world wouldn't approve of us..." I spat out, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Please, Ava, I promise that's not true. I'll do whatever you want. Just tell me, and I'll do it, but please don't take away the last piece of me. I need you. I love you. You said you wouldn't leave me." He reaches out for me, but I jerk his hands away.

"I said as long as you're here, I'm not going anywhere, but you're not." I remind him angrily, turning around, unable to witness the depth of the wounds my words have caused him.

"I love you... please, I'm begging you." He whispers, more to himself, and I close my eyes, letting the tears flow helplessly. "Please don't leave me. I'm begging you on my knees." I sense him lowering himself, but I refuse to look back.

I can't look back... a part of me wants to pull him close and bring back the smile that once lit up my universe, but another part of me is hurting, and there's nothing he can do to change that.

"You never did. All this time we were together, she was right there with you, around your wrist," I cry. "I think our parents deserve happiness. We should let them be. After all, they were the ones who first met." I say, my voice breaking, and I hurriedly leave the spacious room that had suddenly become so small in the last ten minutes.

Numbly, I make my way through the middle floor, feeling like a robot, walking amidst half-naked bodies and bumping into people with cold, shattered hearts. He did this to me. He took everything away and left me with nothing.

If love is a sudden surge of mixed emotions, an overwhelming physical attraction, and a rush of feel-good chemicals, a deep desire to care, respect, and prioritize someone else's well-being, which develops between two people and thrives over time, then why is it so limited? Why is it constricting and torturous?

Yet, I blame myself because, deep down, I always knew that Leigh was the last person I should have fallen in love with. He's enticing, with an irresistible force that pulls me towards his undeniable warmth, even when I know he's my forbidden fruit, my dangerous beauty. Leigh is my forbidden earth. But I happen to desperately and utterly need him. And now that I've lost him, God, I don't know how to survive.

"Ralph Von and his partner Julius Wesley, famously known as the CEOs of VonJulius Motors, were arrested earlier in Germany as suspects involved in illegal activities, including robbery, human trafficking, and drug smuggling. The company is under investigation, and the two suspects will be extradited back to America in a week," a reporter on the news states, halting me in my tracks, like everyone else in the hall.

My swollen eyes slowly shift towards the red-haired girl in the black bikini, standing alone in the midst of the crowd. Her body trembles and her eyes are glued to the television screen.

Embry may be cruel and vicious, but I would never wish something like this upon her or anyone. I feel sorry. I feel broken. I wish everything could go back to the first day I came to America.

"Embry?" the three girls stand behind their frozen friend, shielding her from the murmurs, eyes, and mobile phones.

Just like a bomb, everything managed to explode in a single evening.

I'd be damned if I said leaving London was a great idea.

The end.

"My Stepbrother (Secret Possession)" will soon be renewed for a second book, "My Stepbrother (Secret Obsession)." Thank you all for reading and for your patience. I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for the love you have given. ❤️