Chapter 38
Step–Taboo
AMANDA’S POV:
The past week with Xavier had been… perfect. Like really, really perfect. We’d been spending almost every moment together, laughing, talking, going out, and, well, the other stuff too.
It felt like we were even a couple, even though I knew we weren’t. I mean we’d said we loved each other but he never asked me to be his girlfriend.
But deep down, I knew what we had wouldn’t last. It never does, right? Good things don’t last forever, and that weird feeling in my chest wouldn’t let me forget it.
But at least, I could be happy for a while. I knew it was selfish of me but I just wanted to be happy with him right
now.
I walked down the stairs with this stupid smile on my face, getting ready to go tease Xavier. I spotted him in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with his phone pressed to his ear.
He looked frustrated, running a hand through his hair while he talked. I thought about sneaking up him, just to mess with him a little. But then, I froze. What he said next made me stop in my tracks.
and scaring
“You got your secretary pregnant? Really, Alex? How the fuck did you do that? I thought we agreed to always use protection p>
My breath caught in my throat. Alex? As in Alexander? My stepfather? My heart started pounding so hard I thought it might burst right out of my chest.
I stayed still, staring at Xavier’s back as he kept talking. Was this real? Was he really talking about Alexander? My mom’s husband? It could be a different Alex.
Xavier scratched his head, listening to whoever was on the other end of the line, and let out this weird laugh. Like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing either.
Then he turned around. His eyes landed on me, and his face completely dropped. His mouth hung open for a second before he quickly said something into the phone and hung up. That just confirmed that the Alex, Xavier had been talking to, was my step father.
“Amanda,” he started, “It’s not what you think p>
“Alexander has been cheating on my mom?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Xavier opened his mouth, then closed it like he didn’t know what to say. Finally, he nodded. I could feel my chest tighten, and my hands started shaking.
“And you knew?” I asked, my voice louder this time.
He hesitated but nodded again.
“How long p>
He looked away from me. “Two years,” he admitted.
Two years. My heart just… sank. Two years he’d known, and he didn’t say anything. I didn’t know what was worse, the fact that Alexander had been cheating on my mom or the fact that Xavier, the guy I liked a lot, had kept it from me this whole time.
“And Amelia?” I asked suddenly. The name just slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it. I needed to know. I
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had to. “ How long have you been sleeping with her p>
Xavier’s eyes widened, and for the first time, he looked panicked. “Three years,” he said, his voice barely audible. “But I promise, Amanda, I haven’t p>
I didn’t let him finish. I couldn’t. My stomach twisted, and I felt like I was going to throw up. My chest was so tight it hurt to breathe. I turned and walked out of the kitchen, heading straight for my room.
“Amanda, wait!” Xavier called after me.
I ignored him, slamming the door behind me and grabbing my suitcase from the closet. My hands were trembling as I started throwing my clothes into it.
“Where are you going?” Xavier asked desperately from the doorway.
I didn’t answer. I just kept packing, yanking drawers open and stuffing everything into the bag without even folding it.
“Amanda, please, just talk to me!” he begged, stepping closer. “You don’t understand p>
“Get out of my way!” I snapped, my voice cracking. I turned to face him, tears already welling up in my eyes. “You lied to me, Xavier. You lied about everything p>
“I didn’t lie,” he said. “I just… I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to hurt you p>
“Well, congratulations,” I said bitterly, zipping up my suitcase. “You hurt me anyway p>
I pushed past him, dragging my suitcase down the stairs. Xavier followed me, still pleading. “Amanda, please. Don’t go. We can talk about this. Just let me explain p>
“Explain what?” I yelled, spinning around to face him. “That you’ve been sleeping with Amelia? That you’ve been hiding the fact that Alexander is cheating on my mom? What else, Xavier? What else are you keeping from me? That you might even have a secret girlfriend p>
He didn’t have an answer. He just stood there, staring.
I booked an Uber on my phone, and when the car pulled up outside, I grabbed my suitcase and walked out the door. Xavier tried to stop me one last time, grabbing my arm gently.
“Please, Amanda,” he said, his voice breaking. “Don’t go p>
I pulled my arm away, shaking my head. “I can’t do this, Xavier. I just… I can’t p>
The Uber ride back to my house felt like it lasted forever. My chest ached, and my head was spinning.
When I finally got there, I found the spare key my mom always hid under the flower pot and let myself in. The house was quiet, almost too quiet.
I dropped my suitcase on the floor and sank to my knees, tears falling down my face. I wasn’t close to my mom, not really, not after everything that had happened between us.
But she was still my mom. And knowing that Alexander had been cheating on her for two years? That she was going to be completely crushed when she found out? It broke me.
I stayed there on the floor, crying until I couldn’t cry anymore.
The day passed in a blur, the day after, then the next. I stayed in the house, ignoring Xavier’s calls, texts, everything.
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He must’ve called me a hundred times, but I didn’t answer once. I couldn’t. I didn’t even leave the house. I just stayed on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, staring at the TV without really watching anything.
On Sunday, a knock on the door woke me up. I groaned, dragging myself off the couch and shuffling toward the door. I wasn’t expecting anyone, and I wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone either. But when I opened the door, there he was.
Xavier.
P
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Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.