The Stepbrother's Sin

Chapter 2 — Night Demon

In the middle of the night, the mattress I had been so comfortably sleeping on dipped down. A large hand snaked its way on my hip, and my eyes flew open while my body stiffened in response. It was dark inside the room, but from the little light outside, I could see a figure right next to me.

A loud scream reached my throat but before it came forth fully, someone covered my mouth with a hand. My breath caught in my throat and my pulse started to race as a body pressed against mine, pinning me down to the bed. I quickly moved my hands to the hand covering my mouth, trying to pry it away, but it was useless.

"Shhh."

It was a man's voice and I heard it whisper into my ear before the person pressed himself closer, trapping me even more. My mind began to race. Was this a dream? A freaking nightmare? No. It couldn't be. I was awake, in my consciousness and there was a man in my room.

I ran my fingernails along the length of his wrist, digging them in, trying to create any amount of pain that might get him off of me. And he did let go. I backed up against the headboard while slamming my fingers over the side table, searching for the button to switch on the light. The lights came on, and my heart almost leaped out of my chest when I saw him.

The man standing at the edge of my bed had dark eyes, with a hint of blue, and jet-black hair that fell over his forehead. He was dressed in all black, from head to toe. He didn’t look like someone who had broken into the apartment and was about to commit a crime. Instead, he looked like a model, with a jawline that was sharp enough to cut and lips that were full and inviting. He was freakishly handsome, and it was almost enough to make me forget the situation I was in.

He threw his head back, and a low, menacing sound escaped his throat. It was enough to break me out of the spell, and I shot out of the bed with terror racing through me.

"Get away from me." I shrieked as he got up from the bed and began nearing me.

"Settle down, Ivy."

"Who are you?" I backed away until my back hit the wall.

The man stopped just a couple of inches from me. His eyes bore into mine as his hand found a lock of my hair that fell on my face. He twisted it between his fingers and responded to me.

"I'm your stepbrother. It's a pity that you don't recognize me."

My shoulders eased as my heartbeat slowed a bit. I wasn't sure how to respond. I tried to recollect if Richard ever had any pictures of Cain, or if Mom ever showed me a photo. I couldn't. It was my first time seeing him and never in a hundred years I thought I'd meet him like this, in my freaking bedroom, while I was sleeping.

"What are you doing in my bedroom? You scared me!" I couldn't help but glare at him as he was the one to blame for my racing pulse and sweat-soaked shirt.

He raised an eyebrow, and his lips curled. "I can see that. I didn't know my own sister was so afraid of me."

His tone was mocking, and his eyes twinkled with something.

"Step-sister," I corrected him and brushed my fingers through my hair to get rid of the knots. "And get out of my room, you creep."

He stared at me, taking in the sight of me with a look on his face that made my stomach churn. "You know, when I heard about you, I thought you were going to be an ugly brat with no taste, but I guess I was wrong."

My mouth fell open, and I couldn't believe his words. I didn't think I could have been insulted in this situation but here he was, going beyond just a simple intruder. I didn't expect anything like this from Richard's son and if this was any indication, I knew it wasn't going to get any better.

"Get. The. Hell. Out. Of. My. Room." I said every word in my anger, clenching my fists and gritting my teeth.

He shook his head, tucking his hands into the pockets of his pants, "You've got to be a bit friendlier, Ivy."

"You literally just snuck into my room and scared the crap out of me!"

"I just wanted to see my little step-sister," He stepped back and moved towards the door before pulling it open. "Welcome home, Ivy. You have no idea what's in store for you."

A shudder ran up my spine at the look he gave me. It was strange, but before I could think about it any longer, Cain left.

I barely slept throughout the night and even when I did, I'd wake up to a feeling of being watched, but it was nothing. It was all just me and my nerves. I couldn't understand how easy it was for Cain to get in and just terrorize me like that.

By the time my alarm went off the next day, I had barely had five hours of sleep. I was exhausted but I knew I had to be ready so I forced myself to get up. The skin under my eyes felt tight, and I looked pale and exhausted, but I knew a little makeup would help. It wasn't anything I couldn't conceal.

After spending some time in the shower, I stepped out and found Mom in the bedroom.

"Ah, I was waiting for you to come out." She sat down on a couch.

I wrapped my towel around my self tighter and glanced at the door. Thankfully, it was shut. Maybe I did need to lock it.

"Morning, Mom," I said and went to the wardrobe.

I pulled it open and ran my hand through the clothes, trying to decide on the outfit. Today, was going to be my first day on campus and I had a few things in mind.

"How was your night?"

"Good," I pulled out a white coat to go along with black shirt and jeans. "It was pretty good until Cain decided to pay me a visit in the middle of the night. He's a psycho." I added, looking at her over my shoulder.

"What?" She stood up. "He came to you? Here?"

"Yeah, and I think that's pretty messed up. Like it was the middle of the night, Mom. How was I even supposed to know it was him? I just woke up, and he was in my freaking room, sitting there." I exclaimed, putting on my pants and throwing my shirt on.

"I'm sorry, Ivy. I don't know what's happening with him. I'll try talking to Richard and find out if there's anything we can do about this. I don't want to feel unsafe about being here, at all." She pressed a hand over my shoulder, trying to comfort me.

"It's alright, Mom."

The worry in her eyes didn't disappear and I doubted it would. Maybe I shouldn't have told her. I mean—it was the first night and I didn't want to trouble her especially with all the things that were already happening.

"Let's go eat something," I tossed my coat over my arm once I was ready and suggested. "I hope I do get some nice breakfast here."

"Oh, you'll love it," She patted my back and we went downstairs. "The chef, Louis, makes the best food. He's Italian, and he has been working for Richard forever!" Her excitement bubbled like champagne.

As we walked towards the dining room, the scent of food drifted towards me, and I could already imagine what a wonderful spread we'd have. It smelled divine, like bacon, eggs, and sausages, but also a hint of coffee. My stomach grumbled.

We entered the dining room, and it was as exquisite as I thought. The floors were white marble, and the walls were painted white as well, giving it a minimalist feel. There was a chandelier that hung from the ceiling, casting a warm, amber light, making the room seem cozy and inviting. The table was already set, with white linen, plates, and cutlery. It looked like it was set by a professional.

Richard was sitting at the table, reading some newspaper. He had a cup of coffee in his hand and was dressed in a suit. When he looked up and saw us, he gave Mom a warm smile, "Good morning."

"Good morning." She returned his greeting with the same warmth, and walked towards him.

They leaned into each other and kissed each other on the cheeks, before separating. I waved at him and moved to the chair opposite him.

"I hope you're settling in, Ivy." He folded his newspaper and set it aside.

I nodded, "It's pretty great."

"Good. I heard you're visiting Crestwood College today?"

"Yes." I grabbed a fork and scooped up a small bite of bacon before taking it into my mouth.

The bacon was cooked perfectly and tasted like heaven. It was crisp, but not burnt, and the flavor was incredible. It was so much better than the one I was used to from my old place, where Mom always burnt the bacon, and I'd end up eating cereal.

Richard's chef was definitely talented.

"You'll love it there. My son, Cain, went there, and he enjoyed his time a lot." He said.

I paused and set my fork on the side. I didn't want to remember him, because if I did, all I could see was him sneaking in my room last night and sitting right there. Who would even do that? What if I didn't wake up?

"Oh, where is he now?" I turned to Richard and asked.

"He came in pretty late last night, so he'll be sleeping till noon at the very least. You'll probably see him when you return from your campus visit," Richard responded while sipping on his coffee. "In the meantime, take Daniel with you. He'll drive you to the campus and back, and if there's anything more that you need, then let him know."

"Thank you." I gave him a polite smile.

Richard was really nice, and I could see why Mom liked him so much. He was an incredible man, but I didn't know what to think of his son yet. There was something strange about Cain. He gave me a bad feeling, but I was hoping that I didn't have to think about him much.

Growing up, the only family I had was Mom. We lived alone together and I didn't have much memories of anyone else. Mom never really talked much about her family or anything about the time when she was younger, so I never pushed her either. We were alone most of the time. She dated a few guys, before finding Richard.

Richard was her longest relationship, and she was pretty sure she wanted to marry him. So, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about Cain, since I hardly ever had a relationship with anyone other than Mom.

But I was willing to give it a try. I mean, we were going to be living under the same roof for quite some time after all.